


The Dragon's Courtship

by zubeneschamali



Series: Dragon!Jared [1]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragon!Jared, M/M, virgin!Jensen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 01:36:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17478770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zubeneschamali/pseuds/zubeneschamali
Summary: Jensen is prepared to offer himself as a sacrifice to the new dragon who has taken up residence near their village. But this dragon is not like the ones in the stories. He can transform into a handsome young man named Jared, and he's not at all interested in virgin sacrifices -- but he is determined to win Jensen's heart. When the old dragon returns, demanding the same kind of sacrifice that he used to claim, Jensen and Jared will each have to fight him to save themselves and their people, and to find their happily ever after.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally started for a prompt at spn_kinkmeme and later finished for dragonbigbang some years ago and is being reposted now for reasons. Many thanks to my wonderful artist paperbackwriter for finishing her work promptly and being patient as I struggled to finish this off. The art is included in the story. Thanks also to kasman for the superb beta reading job.

Dawn is breaking over the distant plains as Jensen slips out the door of his family's cottage. His parents didn't stir as he crept past their room, and his little sister kept sleeping as well. He knew if they saw him, they'd ask what he was doing, and there would be no way they would allow him to go if they knew. Nor is he certain that he could leave after speaking to them one more time.

But he _has_ to do this. His family needs him, his whole village needs him, even if they would deny it to his face. He wasn't alive the last time a dragon was spotted up on Mt. Easton—his parents weren't even alive—but his granny and the other elders have told him stories that gave him nightmares as a child and have steeled his resolve as a young man. There are still swathes of land in the valley where nothing will grow, dragon fire having scorched the earth beyond redemption. 

Jensen might not be much of a sacrifice, but he's hoping the dragon won't realize that.

He takes the path up the valley, winding beside the wide river. The sun is warm on his back as the path turns and starts climbing up the side of the valley. He has to stop to catch his breath as the route grows steeper, and he pauses at a spot where the trees are starting to give way to boulders. He sees a deep gouge in one of the rocks, and he swallows hard. It's as long as the handle of a shovel, deeper than the length of his hand, and he can hear in his mind the elders arguing at yesterday's meeting about sending men up the path he's on, armed with nothing more than pitchforks. The scars left by the long-ago dragon's claws are a clear sign of how futile that would be.

Jensen knows the king never responded to his village's pleas for help the last time a dragon perched above their valley, and with the rumors of war against the forest-dwellers to the south, reinforcements are even less likely. Hoping this new dragon will change its mind and go away like the last one did is foolish. There's nothing else to be done but to follow the old tradition and trust it will be as effective as it was in his granny's time.

Jensen's throat gets drier as he climbs higher, above the treetops and into the scrubby brush. He didn't bring a water skin, figuring there was no need, but he realizes now that he'll have to make his plea with a dry throat. Not that nerves wouldn't be doing that for him anyway, but he needs do this _right_ if he's going to do it at all.

There's a trickling stream that the path has crossed a few times, and he picks his way back downhill to the last crossing. Kneeling, he scoops up water that's so cold it make his fingers tingle and hurts his throat. When he's done, his mouth is still dry, but there's nothing more to be done about that. Squaring his shoulders, Jensen turns to finish climbing the trail.

The sun is behind him, and the shadow that passes over it catches him by surprise. When he sees the silhouette of a great winged creature moving across the bare hillside, Jensen gasps and drops to one knee, holding both hands up in defense. A second later, he sees it, and his mouth falls open.

The dragon is huge, its head alone easily the size of his family's cottage, its skin a dark blue-grey like the sky when a storm is coming. Jensen watches it soar overhead, wings spread wide, and he realizes dumbly that if it laid down in the valley, it would be the length of his entire village. He's been nervous all the way up here, but this is the first time he's been _afraid_. What would a beast that large want with something as small as him, anyway?

The dragon flaps its wings, once, and the gust of wind would have knocked Jensen over if he wasn't already crouching down. It's enough lift to get the dragon to the very peak of Mt. Easton, and there he perches almost delicately. Even from this distance, Jensen can see his clawed feet grabbing hold of the rock, huge wings settling back into his sides, head raised as it looks down into the valley.

Jensen's valley. Where his mother and father have probably already discovered him missing, where his family and home are unprotected in the face of this ravenous beast. Slowly, Jensen rises to his feet and straightens his wool tunic. He can do this. He _has to_ do this.

It's harder going for the last stretch where the trail fades away into mountainside. The rocky ground and steep climb steal Jensen's breath even faster than before. He can tell the instant the dragon spots him—its house-sized head swivels towards him, ridges of scaly flesh moving as it blinks. He pauses and holds his breath, waiting for a rush of smoke or a burst of flame to incinerate him on the spot. But the dragon seems content to watch, and so Jensen picks his way forward over the rocks, reciting over and over in his head the words he's pieced together to save his people.

Jensen's head is down as he clambers over a particularly sharp-edged boulder, so he doesn't realize how close he's gotten until he sees a long, curved rock in front of him _move_. It takes a second to sink in that it's not a rock, it's a _claw_ , and his breath is stolen from his lungs as he looks up, and up, and _up_. 

The dragon is staring down at him, its eyes the same stormy color as its skin. Its head is tilted slightly to the side, and as Jensen watches, it lowers its head towards him. It's like watching a piece of the mountain coming at him, solid and dark and terrifying, and Jensen squeezes his eyes shut and waits for a blast of fire.

When nothing happens after a few rapid heartbeats, he cautiously opens one eye. The dragon is resting its head on its forearms, snout over its claws, like a child might do while lying on its stomach in the grass. Its eyes are fixed on Jensen, shifting between blue and grey and green.

_You are from the village, yes?_

Jensen gives a start and almost falls over backwards, flailing his arms to keep his balance. In his fright, he must be hearing voices that aren't really there. 

He looks at the dragon more closely and sees intelligence in its eyes, more like a human than the beast he expected. Hesitantly, he tilts his head back and shouts, "Yes, my lord! I am!"

There's a low rumble, and Jensen looks around to see if an avalanche or rock fall has started. But it's the chuckle of the dragon that he's hearing in his head. He's _hearing it in his head_ , and this is not something any of the elders have ever talked about.

_You needn't shout,_ says the dragon. _I can hear your thoughts before you say them. And I am hardly a lord._

Jensen stares up at the dragon, still terrified, but in a different way. "Y-you know my thoughts?"

The dragon gives a huff, and twin plumes of smoke rise from its nostrils. _Not all of them, goodness, no. Only the ones you are about to speak. The thoughts that are in the front of your mind, like fire that is in the mouth but not yet breathed._

Jensen has no idea what having fire in one's mouth is like, but he thinks he understands. _Like this?_ he tries, thinking the words as hard as he can.

_Really, you needn't shout._ The dragon sounds amused. _Perhaps you would be more comfortable if you spoke aloud._

"I suppose so." Then Jensen suddenly remembers why he's here and what he's planning to say, and his knees go a little weak. 

_Careful_ , the dragon says. _The footing is not solid up here. But there are good caves inside the mountain, so I am certain that I can learn to be careful with my landings._

"So you plan to stay here?" Jensen asks, clasping his hands behind his back so the dragon won't see how they are shaking.

_I would like to_ , the dragon replies. Then the great ridge above his blue-grey eyes moves in a furrow. _Unless there is already another dragon here. I saw signs in the cave, but they looked to be old._

"No, no," Jensen says. "There used to be one, but it left many years ago." He swallows hard and takes a step forward. "That is why I am here. We—we thought you would want to continue the arrangement the village had with the previous dragon."

_The arrangement._ The dragon's head tilts to the side. _I do not know what you mean._

Jensen is sure that he's being played with, as a cat would toy with a mouse before eating it. His limbs are quaking, but he manages to keep his voice steady enough to say, "The sacrifice. The v-virgin sacrifice. In exchange for leaving the village alone."

For a moment, there is no sound but the wind whistling over the top of the ridge nearby. Then the dragon suddenly rears back, wings spreading open, and Jensen instinctively brings up his hands, as if there was any way to defend himself.

The dragon's voice has been pleasant enough so far, rich and warm, but now it deepens and roughens. _A sacrifice?_ it bellows. _They sent you here as a_ sacrifice _? What kind of monsters are they? I should burn them to the ground!_

"No one sent me!" Jensen calls out. "I came here on my own." He pauses and then shouts louder, "Please don't hurt them!"

The dragon's long neck arches, surprisingly gracefully for something so large. Its head comes down again, closer than before, so Jensen is only a few feet from one large eye. _I am not like that other dragon_ , is the first thing it says. _That is an old and barbaric custom that an honorable dragon would never keep._

Jensen stares into the dragon's eye. His heart is pounding so loud, he wonders if the dragon can hear it. "All right," he says slowly.

_You did not know that._

Jensen shakes his head in silence.

The dragon sighs, more smoke drifting upwards. _But you came here anyway, on your own._

He nods, equally mutely.

There's a long silence. Finally, the dragon asks, _What is your name?_

"Jensen," he says.

_Jensen._ There's the sound of scraping rock, and then the dragon is holding up one long claw, curved downward, in Jensen's direction. _I am called Jared. It is nice to meet you, Jensen._

Feeling as though he must be in a dream, Jensen tentatively reaches out and takes the dragon's claw in his hand. He avoids the sharp tip, and his fingers are barely long enough to close around the hard material of the claw. It's warm like skin, and he slowly shakes it up and down. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jared," he says formally.

The low rumble starts up again, and Jensen catches himself before looking around to see if rocks are falling. _Much more of a pleasure than you had expected, yes?_

He lets out a snort. "I would say so."

_And yet you came here anyway, alone._ Jared withdraws his claw. _That was very brave._

He shrugs one shoulder and looks away. "I am not worth much to them anyway," he says. "At least this way I could be useful."

_What is that supposed to mean?_ The dragon sounds angry again, a low growl underlying its words.

"It does not matter," Jensen says carefully, not wanting to provoke the beast again. "Only that you will not hurt us, that is what matters."

He sees crinkles forming across the dragon's brow as though it were frowning. _Why would I hurt one as beautiful and brave as you?_

Jensen can feel the heat rising to his cheeks. "No matter," he says, taking a careful step back amongst the rocks. "I will go and tell the elders that you mean us no harm."

_Shall I come along?_ Jared asks. _If your people do not think well of you, they might wish more proof than your word._

The words should sting, but the voice that delivers them is so kindly that Jensen feels no hurt. "I mean no offense, Jared, but they might be frightened were you to appear to them. They might try to hurt you."

Jared's voice gains even more warmth. _I am touched by your concern, Jensen. But I was planning on taking my human form for that very reason._

Jensen blinks. "Your human form?"

The dragon's head draws back slightly. _I thought you knew something of dragons, if one had been here before._

"I have never heard of a dragon becoming a human," Jensen replies. His neck is starting to ache from looking up for so long, and that as much as anything is why he says, "It might be best if you did that, though."

_Very well. You should stand back some distance._

Alarmed, Jensen wonders how the dragon could possibly get bigger if it's going to become human, but when he feels winds starting to whip around him, he understands. Retreating behind a boulder only a little smaller than he is, he watches in fascination as the dragon shimmers, the lines of its strong body becoming blurred, and then rapidly shrinking inside that same shimmer. The winds abruptly die, and there, standing in front of Jensen, is the most beautiful man he's ever seen.

He stares at broad shoulders narrowing over a muscular chest to a waist that it seems like he could span with his two hands. Jensen's gaze drops lower, and suddenly he feels flushed.

Jensen's eyes snap up to Jared's. They're the same blue-green color as the dragon's skin, with an exotic tilt to them, beneath a mop of chestnut hair blown every which way by the winds. He's looking hesitantly at Jensen, like he's worried that he's done something wrong.

Jensen clears his throat. "You—you need clothing to go into the village."

"Oh! Of course." His voice is not as deep as the dragon's, but it carries the same weight of reassurance. "I have some in the cave for this very purpose. Wait here." 

Jared turns and scampers off among the rocks, and there is no way Jensen can keep his eyes from the very fine curve of Jared's rear. When he realizes that Jared only has to turn around to catch him staring, he jerks his head away before his shame can be seen.

It's only a matter of minutes before Jared is back, dressed in a long purple tunic with silver trim that goes almost to his knees, over patched hose of a brilliant red color. His boots are patched as well, especially around the toes and heels. As he comes closer, Jensen realizes how much taller Jared is than him, probably at least the length of his hand. He feels like he's craning his head to see the dragon again as Jared comes to a stop in front of him and holds out his arms. "Well?" Jared asks.

Jensen bites his lip. "You look fine," he says politely.

Jared's broad forehead furrows exactly as the dragon's had done. "You are not telling me the truth."

Instantly, Jensen steps back, hands up in front of him. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to offend. It is only that my people wear shorter tunics, easier for working, and our colors are not usually so...so bright."

"Oh." Jared's frown turns into something more like a pout. "Is that a problem?"

"No, it is only…I have not traveled far, my lord, so I do not know the customs of dress in other lands. Forgive me my ignorance."

"Only if you will call me 'Jared' instead of 'my lord.'"

Jensen bites his lip again. "I—I can try."

"Are you always this formal?" Jared asks, sweeping his hand out to the side. "All of you?"

He looks at Jared for a moment, thinks about how he has talked to Jensen so far, and makes up his mind to be straightforward. "You have to understand that there has not been a dragon here since my grandparents' time, and none of the stories were good. He threatened to burn our village and our crops if we did not do as he asked. You can still see the marks on the hillsides where he dug out boulders to throw down at us." Jared's eyes were growing wider and wider, and Jensen hurried on, "So showing respect might be the only way to save ourselves."

Jared bows his head, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Where did this dragon go?" he asks in a low voice.

"I don't know," Jensen replies. "I'm not sure anyone knows."

"If I could find him, I would kill him," Jared nearly growls. "To treat people in such a way, to try and claim fealty from them instead of protecting them…it is beyond shameful. It is _wrong_. Jensen, if there is anything I can do to compensate your people for what was taken from you, you have only to name it."

Jensen stares at him. "You have only to be yourself," he says. "That is as far from our stories as I can think of."

It takes a moment, but a smile starts to spread over Jared's face. His cheeks dimple, and then his lips part to show white teeth as his smile deepens, and Jensen feels like the sun is shining only for him. He smiles back, and Jared laughs and shakes his head. "Brave and honorable and kind," he says. "There can be nothing that your people find offensive about you."

Instantly, the smile slips from Jensen's face. "We should go," he says. "Before someone comes looking for me. It would be better to talk to everyone at once."

Jared's smile falters as well. "Jensen, please. I don’t understand. Before I meet the rest of your village, I want to know what is wrong with them. You are everything I could—" He gestures helplessly with his arms. "Please."

Jensen's already shaking his head. "I can't," he says. "I won't—you don't need to know."

"Please." Jared reaches out and takes Jensen's hands in both of his. "If it's something bad you've done, coming up here as you have done surely more than redeems it."

Feeling the warmth of Jared's hands, not to mentioning noticing how much larger they are than his, has Jensen feeling hot and cold at the same time, and he can't help a shiver. "I was supposed to wed," he says. "A girl from the village down the valley. But I couldn't, I—" He bows his head so he won't have to see Jared's reaction. "I couldn't wed any girl," he says. "It wouldn't be fair to her."

There's a pause while Jensen's heart threatens to pound out of his chest. Then Jared squeezes his hands and asks softly, "But you would wed a boy?"

Jensen's shoulders hunch up. "We are a small village, and that—that does not produce children. It is selfish."

"Love is not selfish," Jared replies in that same gentle tone in which the dragon had suggested he accompany Jensen down to the village. "You were trying to do right by her, were you not?"

He nods fiercely. "No one understood that."

"Oh, Jensen." Jared lets go of his hands, but only to put both arms around him and pull him close. Jensen's face is up against Jared's broad shoulder, his hands resting on the very firm chest he'd caught a glimpse of after Jared's transformation, and he's horrified to realize that he's hardening under his leggings. He tries to push back, but Jared tightens his grip and murmurs, "It's okay."

He's still tense in Jared's arms, and Jared strokes the nape of his neck as if to calm him. The same shiver runs over Jensen as before, except deeper, and a little noise escapes his throat. He's mortified, but Jared only touches him there again. "There are places where they would turn men out of their homes for doing what you did," Jared murmurs close to his ear. "I am glad your village is not one like that, though it seems to me they could be more understanding of your wishes. There are other places where two men or two women share their lives together the same as a woman and a man, though there are not as many of them as there should be."

"It is not the custom," Jensen says, wincing at the way his voice nearly cracks. He can barely breathe with Jared so firm and warm against him, and he's terrified that Jared's going to notice the very clear evidence of his preference for men, or at least of the man embracing him.

"Customs change." Jared finally steps back, to Jensen's relief, running his hands down Jensen's shoulders before letting him go. "As will yours regarding your dragon."

Whereas the phrase would have terrified him that very morning, Jensen likes the sound of it. "Our dragon," he repeats.

Jared smiles, although it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Yes," he says. "Shall we go and tell the rest of your people?"

It's a much easier walk going downhill, not only because of the lack of physical strain and terror that Jensen was feeling on the way up, but also because he's with Jared. He tells Jensen all sorts of wondrous stories about his travels, about the lands where snow covers the mountain peaks all year long, about places that have never seen cold or frost. He describes the dress and customs of people Jensen's never heard of, and the courts of kings that he didn't know existed. 

"You have traveled so far," Jensen says as they journey down the hillside. "But you look as though you are my age. How is that possible?"

Jared grins. "In the years of a dragon, I am like an eighteen-year-old human," he says. "That is why I came to your valley: I have traveled far and seen many things, but it is time for me to settle down and find a place to spend my days protecting."

"I'm twenty-one," Jensen says. "I should have settled down, too, but I still live with my parents and younger sister." He clears his throat. "I have never met another man in this valley who could—who shares my inclinations."

"Well, now you have," Jared replies. At Jensen's surprised look, he shrugs one shoulder. "Dragons are more flexible than most humans. We are able to take on different shapes, after all. Most of us do not restrict ourselves to males or females."

"Wow," Jensen breathes out. Then he shakes his head. "I'm sorry, it is only that I am not used to such forthrightness on these matters."

"I had figured that for myself," Jared says, eyes twinkling. "That is another thing about dragons—even though we live for centuries, we do not waste time in delicate phrasing of our words when forthrightness will do. It is something you had best get used to, I suppose."

"I suppose," Jensen replies, inwardly thrilled at the implication that he will be spending time with Jared.

He's about to say more when they round a bend in the trail and see a dozen men climbing upward several switchbacks below, all carrying pitchforks. "Oh, gods," Jensen sighs. 

"These are your people?" Jared asks.

Jensen nods.

"Are they…planting on the hillside?"

Jensen lets out a snort. "Those are the only weapons most of us have," he says. "I think they are coming to rescue me from the dragon."

"Oh." Jared frowns. "Are they aware of how large I am in my other form? I do not think those pitchforks would do much harm to my hide." 

Swallowing, Jensen says a silent prayer of thanks that Jared has been so friendly with him. 

When Jared nudges him in the side, he looks up in surprise. Jared's smiling softly at him as he says, "Perhaps they think more highly of you than you know, if they are risking themselves this way."

Jensen starts to automatically deny it, but then he sees his father in the lead, and two of the village elders right behind him, and his friends Tomas and Markus, and his heart lifts a little. "Hey!" he calls out, waving an arm.

His father sees him first, as the whole group comes to a halt and stares upwards, shielding their eyes from the noonday sun. Jensen waves, and then he's hurrying down the mountainside, Jared right behind, around the last few hairpin turns until he's right in front of his father.

"Jensen," his father nearly gasps, reaching out and pulling him to his chest in a crushing embrace as pleased murmurs arise from the rest of the men. "We thought you had—that you had gone to the mountain to…"

"He did," Jared says from behind him, and the group falls silent. 

Jensen pats his father on the back and squirms out of his grip to stand beside Jared. "This is Jared," he says. "He's the dragon."

Kenneth, the oldest of the village council except for Jensen's grandfather, frowns and asks, "How can that be?"

"It seems as though your previous experience with dragons has been…quite unfortunate," Jared replies. He goes into a deep bow before Kenneth. "And not at all who we are. I mean you no harm. None at all. In fact, I have come to see if this valley is suitable for me to dwell in and protect." He casts a sideways glance at Jensen and adds, "I have come to the conclusion that it is."

Harold, the other elder, jabs his pitchfork into the ground and puts his hands on his hips. "We saw the dragon yesterday," he says in his nasally voice. He waves a hand at Jared and his colorful finery. "It was much larger than a person."

"You doubt my words," Jared replies calmly.

"Elder Harold, he _is_ the dragon," Jensen says with a bow of his head. "I saw him transform myself."

"Can you do so again?" Harold asks.

Jared's mouth twists into a wry grin. "There is hardly room enough here for me to do so, Elder. But if it is proof you want…" He pauses and closes his eyes, taking in a slow, deep breath.

Then he tilts his head back and opens his jaw wide. A small ball of fire shoots out, flying over Harold's heat and falling to the trail behind him, singing a few blades of grass before it goes out.

The men are all staring at Jared, awed. His eyes are focused on Jensen, though, looking unaccountably nervous. It briefly occurs to Jensen that maybe he should be afraid that his new friend can breathe fire even as a human, but it was such an amazing thing to see that he can only beam at Jared. The small smile he gets in response makes his heart lift.

"I—I see," Harold replies. He straightens up. "Well then. We—forgive us, my lord, for doubting you. It is only that we have never seen a dragon who wasn't a dragon before."

"I understand," Jared replies. "Jensen has told me something of this. And I'm not a lord, Elder. I'm barely of age among my people."

"Of course, sir," Kenneth says with a small bow. He was one of the few carrying a short sword, and he sheathes it and says, "If you are so inclined, we can offer you our humble hospitality and perhaps talk more of your desire to live in our valley. Which you are more than welcome to do, of course." 

"I am grateful for the offer," Jared says with a small bow and a smile. "Please, lead the way."

The men sort themselves out to start down the trail, when to Jensen's surprise, Jared reaches out and puts a hand on his father's shoulder. "You are Jensen's father, yes?"

"I am, my lord. Evan Ackles, at your service."

"Just Jared is fine," Jared says with a smile that looks partially like a grimace. "Could I talk to you and Jensen for a moment as the others start down?"

Evan hesitates, looking at the elders. Jensen knows that Kenneth moves more slowly than him, especially going downhill with his knee the way it is, and it seems that his father realizes it, too. "We shall catch up with you," he says with a wave.

Jensen gives Jared a curious look, but Jared won't meet his eye, instead watching the rest of the men as they travel down the hill. Their voices fade as they cross into a copse of trees, but Jared remains silent until the last sound of their words has faded. 

It's only then that he straightens up and says, "Evan Ackles, I wish to court your son."

Jensen's not sure whose mouth drops open farther, his or his father's. "What?" Jensen asks weakly.

Jared has drawn himself up to his full height, jaw firmly set, but the way his eyes keep darting back and forth between Jensen and his father gives away his nerves. "I am unfamiliar with your customs, so if I am doing this incorrectly, I apologize."

Evan scratches his bearded cheek in the gesture Jensen recognizes from when he's truly flummoxed. "No, I wouldn't…that is, my lord, we do not…it has been a long time since one man courted another, that is all. And usually—that is, not to give offense, but usually it is the older one seeking to do the courting."

The corners of Jared's wide mouth curl up, dimples popping into his cheeks. "Believe me, good sir, I am surely older than your son."

"I suppose so." Evan looks Jared over more closely at that. Then he shakes his head. "Truly, it is up to Jensen. He is a grown man, after all."

"I don't understand." Jensen turns towards his father. His gut is churning almost as badly as when he strode up this mountainside alone only a few hours ago, if for an entirely different reason. He can't even think about what Jared is suggesting, not while his father's words are so fresh in his ears. "I told Sabine I could not marry her or any woman, and our entire village has disdained me ever since. And now you have no objections to a man who seeks my hand, a man none of us even know?"

Evan lets out a heavy sigh. "Jensen, you know I find it hard to speak of such things. And you take no more enjoyment in it than I do, I fear." He scratches at his beard again. "You never told me, son. You never told me who you'd prefer, and so I assumed what is true for most men, and I went to Sabine's father and we discussed the marriage. She was agreeable, and you seemed agreeable, and an agreement was made." Holding up his hands, he goes on. "Do not mistake my meaning, I am glad you told her it was not a suitable match before going through with the wedding, for both your sakes. I only wish you had done so somewhat sooner."

There is silence for a moment. Then Jared puts a gentle hand on Jensen's back. "Jensen, when did you tell the lady your true feelings?"

Jensen can feel the flush rising on his face. "Later than I should have, it is true." He heaves in a breath. "A week before the wedding was to take place."

Jared's eyebrows shoot up. "I can see how that might cause offense." He hastily adds, "That is, until the lady realized it was the best decision in the long run."

Evan is looking at him with his head tilted to the side. "Jensen, did you think we were unhappy you did not want to marry a woman?"

He grimaces. "I did, Father. I….I suppose it was easier than thinking about my own shortcomings, my delay in not speaking up sooner."

There's a small smile on Evan's face that means he's proud of Jensen for being so forthright with something so difficult, and Jensen basks in it for a moment. Then Evan's face falls. "Is that why you came up here this morning? Because you thought we didn’t want you as you are?"

He can't meet the sudden hurt in his father's eyes, and he looks down at the trail beneath their feet. "I thought someone had to do it," he says quietly. "And it might as well be me."

He sees his father's boots moving towards him, and then his chin is being grasped and lifted. He's shocked to see how watery his father's eyes are. "Don't you ever do something so stupid again, Jensen. Do you hear me?"

Jensen swallows hard. "Yes, sir."

"Good." Evan's grip changes, and then he's pulling Jensen towards him in another rough embrace. Jensen closes his eyes for a moment, relishing the feel of it.

Then Evan pats him on the back and lets go. "Well then," he says, clearing his throat. He eyes Jared more sternly. "Now that you've heard a bit of his faults, do you still wish to court my boy?"

Jared's smile has softened, and he's looking at Jensen with something almost like wonder in his eyes. "I do," he says quietly but fervently.

A pleasant shiver runs down Jensen's spine at the sound of Jared's voice, and he feels as light-headed as though he was still atop the mountain. "What—what does that entail?"

Jared tilts his head to the side. "What would it entail for your people?"

"Um. Well, a—" He can't bring himself to say the word _marriage_ , not when it applies to himself and man he only met hours ago. A _dragon_ he only met hours ago, and that's probably going to complicate this in all sorts of ways Jensen doesn't even know about. He tries not to think too hard about the fact that neither he nor his father apparently object to that little fact as he goes on, "As my father said, an arrangement is often made between parents rather than the—the two people themselves."

Jared's blue-green eyes dim. "My parents are no longer of this world."

"I'm so sorry." Jensen puts a hand to Jared's shoulder, hoping Jared can see the depth of his words from his expression. Even though he's felt distant from his parents since his ill-fated engagement, he can't imagine not having them around.

Jared gives him a wan smile. "That's part of why I'm here. It wasn't that long ago, and I thought it would help to be somewhere new."

"Oh, Jared." Without even thinking about it, Jensen reaches out and pulls Jared close, offering the same comfort he had received earlier. It still feels good to have his arms around Jared and to be breathing in his scent, but it's not as arousing as it was before. Which is probably good, considering Jensen's father is right behind him.

_Oh gods_. Jensen abruptly breaks their embrace at the reminder that _his father is right behind him_. He feels something like a trickle of amusement from Jared, and he wonders if he was thinking that loudly enough to be heard by the dragon. 

Jared's smiling fondly at him when Evan clears his throat. "What does courting entail from your point of view, Master Jared?"

Jared quickly shakes his head. "I'm not a master of anything, sir. Nor a lord. Truly." Evan nods, and he goes on, "Our traditions are fairly strict. We need to show that we are worthy, that we can provide for our—well, that we can provide. That means bringing ten gifts to our intended."

Jensen raises his eyebrows. "I don't need gifts, Jared. I—I would like to get to know you better, but that doesn't depend on gifts. I can provide for myself very well."

"I'm sure you can, but it's the way we do things." Jared has that firm set to his jaw again that is in opposition to the worry behind his eyes. "That is, if you—if you want me to—as you said, we hardly know each other, and I'm not exactly like the people you know, and I would understand if—"

Surprising himself, Jensen reaches up and lays a finger over Jared's lips. "I suppose the point of courting is learning what the other person is like, yes?"

Jared nods, lips moving under Jensen's finger, and Jensen hastily pulls back lest he get distracted by the sensation. He asks, "Then that is how we should start."

The smile Jared gives him response makes him feel even warmer than the late spring sun shining brightly overhead.

 

They catch up to the elders before they've reached the bottom of the mountain. Jared immediately starts talking to Kenneth, matching his long-legged pace to that of the slower, older man. Jensen brushes off the questions Tomas and Markus try to ask him, all of his attention on Jared. 

He can't believe he agreed to let Jared _court_ him. He doesn't even _know_ Jared. Sure, he seems to be quite nice, and he's certainly pleasant to look upon, but he's also a _dragon_. And it's clear that Jensen's people don't know anything about dragons, at least if they really have been laboring under a misconception all these years about the proper relationship between dragons and humans. Can it be that Jensen is only taken by the first man to show an interest in him of this kind?

Then Jared casts a glance back over his shoulder, eyes twinkling, and Jensen smiles at him without thinking about it.

"Is he truly a dragon?" Markus asks, elbowing Jensen.

"Yeah, he is." Jensen tears his eyes away from Jared to look at his friend. "Huge. Larger than Elder Harold's house. Large as our whole village."

"Whoa," Markus breathes out. 

"And what in the name of the gods were you doing going up to meet him by yourself?" Tomas asks in a lower tone.

Jensen shrugs one shoulder and looks away.

Then Tomas grabs his arm and brings him to a halt. "You were listening quite closely at the village council yesterday. I saw you when they talked about the sacrifices of the past, and how we could not possibly do that again. But you were going to do it, weren't you?"

"I already discussed this with my father," Jensen replies.

"I hope he told you that you were an empty-headed moron," Tomas retorts. "Although I would happily repeat it." He lightly cuffs the side of Jensen's head. "Moron."

Jensen hears a faint rumbling, and when he looks up, he sees Jared's gaze fixed on Tomas, eyes darkening. _All is well,_ he calls out silently, hoping Jared can hear him the same way in his human form. _You were right about them thinking more highly of me than I thought_.

_They show it in a strange manner_ , Jared replies, but the rumbling sound lessens as he returns to his conversation with the elders.

Jensen can't believe that he finds it comforting to have such a powerful creature watching over him so closely, but it is oddly reassuring. Or maybe there's just something about Jared that sets him apart from anything Jensen had imagined a dragon could be.

So Jensen is completely unsurprised when Jared charms the entire village at the hastily-called council meeting in the main square. He explains little more than what he has already told Jensen and the elders, but it is enough to reassure most people that they are not in danger. 

When he's done, he smiles and asks if there are any questions. The first hand raised is six-year-old Arturus, Tomas's little brother. Tomas groans, but Jared has already pointed at the boy, who pipes up, "Do you live in a cave?"

"Arturus!" scolds his mother Daina, but Jared only laughs. "I do," he replies with a grin. "You have a very nice cave up on top of your mountain. I would like to live in it, if your elders are willing."

"If you find it acceptable, m'lord, that is all that matters," Kenneth says with a bow.

Jared shakes his head. "I will not go somewhere I am not wanted. If you will have me, I swear to protect your village and your valley. But if you are not so inclined, I will leave with no hard feelings."

Jensen feels a sudden pang at the thought of Jared taking off into the skies to find another valley in which to make his home. But Elder Kenneth is smiling and nodding, and then the others are, too, coming forward one by one to shake Jared's hand and welcome him to their home.

When Jared grins at him over the top of Elder Harold's head, Jensen returns the smile. Jared's beam grows wider, and Jensen finds himself unable to look away. He has no idea how his life could have changed so dramatically in the course of one morning, but apparently he is now being courted by a _dragon_.

And a very handsome one, at that.

Jared declares that he has to make a short trip to his home to bring his possessions, now that he has a place to settle. He promises Jensen it will be a short trip, and then they can begin getting to know each other. He says the last with faintly pink cheeks, and Jensen wonders at how such a powerful being can be showing any nerves at all around _him_.

Dragon time is not the same as human time, as Jensen soon learns. The "short" trip Jared spoke of becomes first a fortnight, and then a month. There are mutterings among the villagers that perhaps their dragon changed his mind, or worse yet, that something has befallen him in wherever his native land is, and they are on their own once again. Jensen tries to ignore them, but it's hard. He hasn't heard Jared's voice in his head since the second day of his journey; apparently their thoughts can only be shared over distance, same as their voices. 

It's a cold autumn morning when Jensen hears it. _I am nearly there, my Jensen_. He's jerked into full wakefulness by the sound, and only then realizes his entire family is staring at him at the breakfast table.

"Sorry," he murmurs. "I—Jared is returning."

Kristina, his mother, eyes him more closely. "How do you know?"

Biting his lip, Jensen says, "Apparently dragons can speak to humans."

"Of course they can," his little sister retorts. "He talked to all of us out in the square."

"No, not like that," Jensen replies. "When he's a dragon. He can still talk to us." He taps the side of his head.

Evan draws his head back. "He can speak directly to your mind?"

"He was surprised we did not know that about dragons," Jensen replies. "Nor that they can become human. Perhaps the dragon our grandparents knew was not like most."

"Or your dragon is not," Kristina mutters.

Jensen feels the tips of his ears growing warm. His father had told his mother at the first opportunity of Jared's intention to court their son. She had been surprised, but accepting, though as the days had gone on with no sign of Jared, she had been more and more snappish when wondering where he was. Now, Jensen is pleased to be able to say that Jared was only a couple of days away.

In fact, it's the evening of the next day when a shadow passes over the setting sun. Jensen looks up eagerly from the sheep he'd been herding into their pen, watching the dark shape circle around Mount Easton before settling against the peak. 

_Welcome home_ , he silently calls.

The response is not so much in words but in a feeling, what he remembers of being held in Jared's embrace, and it warms Jensen from the very inside out.

The next morning, after his chores are done, he sets out along the mountain path. He's barely halfway up when he sees Jared heading down. They both hurry their steps, and in no time at all, they're standing in front of each other. 

Jensen has felt nothing but eager anticipation on the climb up, but now he feels suddenly, ridiculously shy. What if Jared had changed his mind after going back to his family? What if he had realized that a simple peasant boy from a tiny village wasn't of interest to him?

"Jensen," Jared says reproachfully, and it's only then that Jensen remembers his thoughts have probably already been heard. He shrugs one shoulder and then yelps as Jared pulls him into a tight embrace.

_Don't be silly_ , Jared says silently. _I have every intention of staying with you for as long as you will have me._

"Good," Jensen says into his ear. He pats Jared's back and then steps away. "I'm glad you are here."

"Me too." Jared's eyes light up. "Can I show you something?"

"I need to be back after noon, but until then, yes."

"Good." Jared grabs Jensen's hand and leads him up the steep mountain path, chattering as they go about the flight back home, the beautiful snow-capped peaks he'd flown past, the high, crystal waterfalls that fell from those peaks into deep green valleys below. "None so pretty as yours," he assures Jensen. "Which you probably already know."

"It's nice of you to say that." Jensen shrugs again. "I have nowhere to compare this to, though."

"Then I will have to show you," Jared says with an easy smile. His voice holds no condemnation of Jensen for being so little-traveled, just excitement about being able to show Jensen new things. 

They reach the top of the mountain by mid-morning, Jared practically pulling Jensen along. The air is thinner up here, and it's harder for Jensen to keep up with Jared's pace, but the excitement on Jared's face is contagious, and he manages the last bit of the climb. "Now, wait here," Jared says, coming to a halt outside the large cave. He bites his lip and then gives Jensen a slightly wavering smile. "I'll be right back."

He ducks inside, Jensen looking curiously after him. The cave goes back quite a ways—it has to if it's going to hold Jared when he's dragon-sized. Jensen can make out a jumble of objects faintly glimmering at the rear of the cave. Maybe the part of the legends about dragons hoarding gold is true.

"Here." Jared has reappeared in front of Jensen, holding something behind his back. He looks as nervous as he did when asking Jensen's father for permission to court, and that has Jensen standing up straighter and feeling more serious. "I brought this back with me—well, I brought a lot of things back with me, but this one is special." He takes a deep breath. "Jensen, my first gift to you."

What Jared brings out from behind his back is momentarily blinding, as the sun peeks through the clouds and reflects off of bright metal that has Jensen blinking to clear his eyes. When he can see clearly, his eyes widen in shock. "Jared, what…?"

"It's a torc," Jared says. He holds up the large, thick band of gold. "I know you probably don't wear jewelry, but this could be saved for a special occasion. It's from a land nearer to the sea, where—"

"Is that _gold_?"

Jared nods and holds it out. "See for yourself."

Jensen snorts in disbelief. "I've never seen more than a gold coin." His fingertips brush over the torc's surface; it's warm to the touch, probably from Jared's hands, and surprisingly soft. "It's beautiful."

"It was worn by royalty." Jared gives him a hesitant smile. "And now by you."

Jensen slowly shakes his head, uncertainty curdling in his gut. "It's beautiful, Jared, but I can't accept it."

He looks up to see that Jared's face has fallen, looking as though someone had punched him. "You…you don't want it."

"It's lovely. It's also worth more than my entire village put together." He sweeps his arm out to the side, towards the cluster of timber-and-wattle houses in the valley below. "I appreciate it, I do, Jared, but…" Jensen shakes his head. "I have no need for it."

"It's not about need," Jared insists. "It's about what I can give you."

Jensen steps back, folding his arms over his chest, the uncertainty inside of him starting to shade towards dread. "I don’t need it," he insists. "Perhaps you should—you should find someone else who is worthy of your gifts."

"Jensen, no." To Jensen's shock, Jared tosses the torc behind him, where it lands with a clatter in the cave. "It is I who is not worthy, not if I do not know what would please you." He reaches out and puts a hand on Jensen's arm. "Perhaps I should spend more time with you first so that I can get to know you and your world. Would that be all right?"

"My world is milking cows and planting grain and chopping wood," Jensen replies sadly. "That cannot be of interest to you. Not after all that you have seen and done."

"Will you let me judge that, instead of deciding for me?"

The words are delivered gently, but they strike at Jensen nonetheless. He nods and looks down. "Of course. I am sorry."

"Don't be sorry." A gentle hand on his chin has him looking into Jared's blue-grey eyes once more. "I have no more experience in this matter than you. We shall learn from each other, yes?"

He looks at Jared for a long moment, seeking disdain or displeasure or even resentment. But all he sees is bright-eyed eagerness, and it has him slowly nodding. "I think we shall," Jensen says, and Jared beams at him in return.

Jared follows him back down the mountain, and to Jensen's surprise, he turns out to be a capable farmhand. He listens carefully to Jensen's instructions and only has to be told once how to do something. Jensen initially hesitates to bring him near the farm animals, worried that they can somehow sense the large beast that Jared can become. But Jared is gentle, winning over the horses almost instantly, even the high-strung mare who usually responds to no one but Jensen's mother.

Jared works beside him all of the rest of that day, and for the next several days as well. They talk as they work, when they have the breath for it. Other times, Jensen whistles or hums, as he's wont to do while working. When he remembers Jared is there, he stops, embarrassed, but Jared only grins and asks him to keep going.

After a couple of days, Jared brings a plain package wrapped in brown paper for Jensen. He waits until they are out in the stables to hand it to him, the same nervous anticipation on his face as before. "It's not gold, I promise."

It's flat and thin, much lighter than the torc had been. Jensen pulls aside the twine and carefully unwraps the paper, setting it aside on a shelf to be reused later. When he sees what is inside the package, he blinks. 

It's a book, thinner than the holy books that are kept in the chapel. It has a drawing on the cover of a winged creature, something like what a human would look like with dragonfly wings on its back, flitting through a grassy meadow. There is gilded writing on the front, and as Jensen slowly flips through the pages, he sees fine calligraphy with gold leaf on some of the letters, and he wonders whether this is worth more or less than the heavy gold jewelry Jared already tried to give him.

"Do not think in such terms," Jared says sternly. Then he grimaces. "I am sorry, I do not mean to read your thoughts, but you were speaking them so loudly in your head. Truly, Jensen, you are worthy of fine things. Do not doubt that."

"I do not doubt that you think so," Jensen quietly replies. He closes the book and holds it out in both hands. "But I am a farmer's son, Jared. I do not know how to read."

Jared's expression falters for a moment. Then he lifts his chin. "I shall teach you. And until then, I can read to you. These are fairy tales, stories of other realms and other kingdoms. Made-up stories, but they are beautiful nonetheless."

Jensen swallows. "I appreciate the offer." He holds the book up a little higher and goes on, "Perhaps you should keep this until then?"

"Of course." Jared bites his lip. When he reaches out to take the book, his hands shake a little bit, and he is careful not to let his fingers touch Jensen's. He's quiet the rest of the day, asking Jensen no questions unless it's necessary for their work, offering no stories about himself the way he usually does, and Jensen finds himself missing the cheerful chatter.

He makes sure to bid Jared a warm good night at the end of their day. The next morning, as the sun's first rays are sliding down into the valley, he greets Jared more enthusiastically than normal, asking how he had slept and what he thought of their valley now that he had been there for a few weeks, and anything that would get Jared talking once again. Jared slowly warms to his usual self, and Jensen feels relieved. 

A few days later, they're on the second day of digging postholes for the new fence Jensen's father wanted around one of their pastures when Jensen stops to rest on his shovel. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course." Jared sticks his shovel into the ground and spreads his arms wide. "Ask away."

Jensen looks at him for a moment, at the sweat glistening at the hollow of his throat and the dirt on his woolen pants. The muscles of his bare arms are making Jensen think all sorts of inappropriate thoughts, and he clears his throat. "You could do this work in an instant, couldn't you? In your other form?"

Jared blinks. "Do you want me to?"

"No, I—that was not why I asked." Jensen frowns. "I suppose I don't understand. Why you're working with me like this." He gestures at Jared from head to foot. "Surely it would be easier as a dragon. You could poke a hole with your claw that would take me an hour to dig on my own."

"Perhaps." Jared sticks out his lower lip and blows upwards so that his sweat-soaked bangs flutter against his forehead. With a frustrated grimace, he reaches up to brush them aside with the back of his hand, leaving a streak of dirt across his forehead in the process. "But you asked me to see what your world was like. And I…" He trails off and shrugs. "I get the feeling that I am more welcome in this form."

Jensen frowned. "You _are_ welcome here, you know that. More than welcome. The elders and everyone else in the village have told you so."

Jared's mouth quirks in a sad smile. "I fear they would say differently if they were speaking to me as a dragon. Given what you have said about your previous experiences with my kind, and the way you first approached me, I…" He looks down at the ground. "I don't want to see fear in your eyes when you look at me."

"Jared." Jensen steps closer, putting his hands on Jared's upper arms. "That was before I knew you. When I thought you were like the old dragon. I wouldn't be afraid of you now."

"You don't know that," Jared replies with a stubborn shake of his head, eyes fixed somewhere near Jensen's feet. "I know how much bigger I am in that form. Larger than your house, almost as long as your village street. That cannot help but unnerve you."

"I thought you wanted us to get to know each other. That was the point of your courting, yes?"

Slowly, Jared looks up at him. "Yes."

"How am I to know you if I only know part of you?"

Jared regards him for a moment, uncertainty clouding his eyes. Then his expression clears, and he gives a rueful shake of his head. "How could I have forgotten how brave you are?" he asks, one hand coming up to cup Jensen's cheek. "How brave, and how true."

Jensen can feel his cheeks flush. "More stubborn than brave."

"Not so." Jared leans closer, his gaze flickering down to Jensen's mouth and back in a way that makes heat pool in Jensen's gut. 

Suddenly, Jensen is very aware that his hands are clasping Jared's bare arms, warm skin under his fingers. Jared's hand is splaying wide against his cheek, fingers long enough to span from chin to ear. Jensen's breath catches, and he can feel a sudden twist of desire that isn't his own. It makes him shake a little, fingers slipping over Jared's sweaty arms, and he unconsciously leans closer.

Jared's eyes are darkening like the sky as a storm approaches. "Jensen," he says softly, almost breathing the words. "I don't know if I'm allowed, but…" His thumb slips along Jensen's lower lip.

Jensen shivers. "What do you mean?" he asks, voice shaky, even though he can hear full well inside his head what it is that Jared wants.

Jared whispers it anyway, thumb still tracing under Jensen's mouth. "I want to kiss you."

"Please," Jensen breathes out, and then he's digging his fingers into Jared's arms and leaning upwards, pressing their mouths together. 

It's clumsy and rough, but it's like nothing that Jensen has ever felt before. He can feel Jared's shock and delight mirroring his, and he smiles against Jared's mouth, angling his head so their lips slide back and forth. Jared's fingers slide up into his hair, holding him in place as they kept kissing, and all that Jensen can think is that nothing could be better than this warmth and excitement and feeling of _home_.

When they finally draw apart, Jensen is thrilled to see that the awestruck expression on Jared's face matches what he's feeling at that same moment. He gives Jared a shaky smile and says, "Perhaps you should stay in this form after all."

Jared breaks out in a grin that feels like watching the sun come up. "If I became my dragon and dug all of the postholes in a few minutes, then we could do this for the rest of the day, yes?"

Jensen throws back his head on a laugh. "I like how you think," he says, and Jared laughs along with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Jared stays in his human form for the rest of that day, even if he doesn't try to kiss Jensen again until their work is done. Jensen heads home feeling lighter than he has in years, his own happiness magnified by the stray thoughts he can feel from Jared, growing fainter as Jared heads up his mountain but never quite disappearing. His mother gives him a knowing smile when she takes in his expression, but she doesn't ask him to explain, and for that he's glad. It would be too hard to put into words, and he doesn't feel like sharing it with anyone right now anyway. 

The next morning, when Jensen goes outside, he hears his name being called from above. Craning his neck, he sees the dark shape of Jared's dragon flying overhead, doing a loop in the air when he sees Jensen watching him. Jensen laughs and waves, calling a silent good morning in his head. 

Jared sends a thought in response that's a memory of yesterday's kiss, and Jensen feels his cheeks grow warm again. 

He watches Jared fly up and over the mountains separating their valley from the one to the north. It's the opposite direction from his cave, and Jensen wonders briefly where he's going. It's still early, the sun still behind the highest peaks, and Jensen shrugs. He'll find out in good time, he's sure, even if he's impatient for Jared to be standing in front of him once more.

Jensen starts the morning's work where they had left off yesterday, driving a post into the ground and settling the earth around it. He hadn't been joking when he had asked Jared about his ability to do their work as the dragon. It certainly would make things easier right now.

He hears his name again, and when he looks up, Jared is soaring back over the mountain, the sun glinting off of his scales. His long, clawed arms are stretched out in front of him, and as he draws closer, Jensen can see that he's carrying something. Shading his eyes against the sun, he watches as Jared circles closer, wings spread wide as he slows and drops, landing on the other side of the field with a thud and making the flock of Jensen's sheep scatter with a series of baleful _baa_ s.

"Careful," Jensen warns.

_I'm sorry_ , Jared replies. _I thought that after yesterday, it was time to bring you another gift._. Extending his arms in front of him, he opens his large, taloned hands to reveal what he's been carrying.

There are two white puffs in his hands, and Jensen has to come closer, scrambling over the rocks of the rough pasture. When he sees what Jared holds, his hand flies to his heart. "Jared, what did you do?"

_You said yesterday that your flocks were not doing as well as you had hoped,_ Jared replies. _That the new pasture might help, but that you usually had more sheep. I thought I would bring you a few more._

Jensen stares at the sheep. There are two pairs, each huddling together in the shelter of Jared's claws. The other sheep in the meadow are giving Jared a wide berth, though at least they hadn't outright run away. "Where did you get them?" Jensen calls out.

Jared raises his giant head and blows a stream of smoke in the direction of the mountains where he'd flown. _The next valley is larger than yours,_ he says. _They have many more flocks, and much larger in number. I think their grass is greener. Perhaps they receive more rain because the mountains are lower?_

"You took someone else's sheep?" Jensen puts his hands on his hips. "Jared, you cannot do that." 

_They have so many_. Jared lowers his head, fixing Jensen with a look from one of his large, blue-green eyes. _Many more than you. They will not miss a small handful_. 

"I am certain they did not miss a _dragon_ stealing their sheep," Jensen retorts. "You are lucky they did not fire upon you with arrows."

_It helped that I traveled so early_ , Jared replies sheepishly.

"Jared." Jensen folds his arms over his chest. "You have to take them back. You can't take from someone else to give to me."

Jared's nostrils flare. _I thought you would like something more practical. Since none of my previous gifts have pleased you._

Jensen sighs. "It is not that they haven't pleased me." He comes closer, until he can reach out and put a hand on Jared's claw. One of the sheep _baaa_ s and shuffles further back across Jared's palm, eyeing Jensen mistrustfully. "And I appreciate what you are trying to do. I like that you were thinking of what I would find useful, not just as decoration." He looks up at Jared, making sure he has his full attention. "I like that you want to take care of me, or provide for me. But you took away from someone else to do this."

Jared lowers his head, and Jensen never would have thought that a gigantic dragon could look so much like a scolded puppy. _I’m sorry_.

"You haven't done _me_ any wrong," Jensen replies. He gestures behind him, towards the mountains and the apparently larger valley behind. "You should return them. And take one of ours as well, in case these four have been upset or harmed by their flight."

_Jensen, no_ , Jared answers. _Yes, I will take them back, but there is no need to take from you as well_.

"It's the right thing to do," Jensen replies. "It is what is fair."

He can't hear all of the words swirling around in Jared's thoughts in response, but he's fairly certain that "stubborn" is among them. Hands on his hips, he watches as Jared carefully selects a sheep from the edge of Jensen's flock and then launches himself into the air, slowly flying up and over the mountain range.

Later that morning, Jensen sees him flying overhead again, headed back towards his mountaintop cave. He calls out to him, but only gets a grumbling rumble in response. There's nothing he can do right now—the fence has to be finished so the sheep have somewhere to graze—so he grits his teeth and wrestles the fence posts into the ground, wishing all the while that Jared was beside him.

He has to explain to his father at the end of the day why they have lost a sheep. He's angry as he begins to tell the story, frustrated at Jared's disappearance for the rest of the day and the fact that he had to do all of the work as a result. But as he talks, he worries that his father will be angry that Jensen made the decision he did. Their sheep are doing poorly as it is—losing even one is not something they can easily afford.

When Jensen's done talking, his father gives a great sigh. "Jensen, my boy," he says. "That was a difficult decision you made."

"It seemed like the right thing to do," he mutters.

"I suppose it was, in the large sense of things. It was only fair to return what had been taken, and more besides." He waits until he's certain Jensen's eyes are upon him and goes on, "But if you keep rejecting Jared the way you are, he might decide to fly off and leave us."

"He wouldn't leave," Jensen replies automatically. "He promised to protect the valley. He's not going to change his mind."

"He's going to a lot of trouble for you, and you've turned him down at every point so far."

"What else am I supposed to do?" Jensen asks, spreading his hands wide. "I can't use a piece of gold as thick as my wrist, or a book I don't even know how to read. And it wasn't right of him to steal sheep for me."

Evan sighs. "It's his custom, Jensen, he told you so. And by rejecting the gifts, you're rejecting him."

"I told him that's not my intention," Jensen replies. "That I _do_ want him here. That I want him…well…with me."

Evan's expression softens. "Are you certain that he knows that?"

Jensen nods and then bites his lip. "Fairly certain."

"Well then." Evan claps a hand to his shoulder. "You'd best be completely certain. You've been a different man since Jared came to our valley. I don't think I've seen you so happy since you were a child. I don't think you want to lose that."

"I don't." Jensen sighs and looks out the window. It's nearly dark, too dark to risk the path up to Jared's cave. _Will you come and see me tomorrow?_ he calls out silently.

There's a pause, and then Jared quietly replies, _Yes,_ but without the warmth that Jensen is used to hearing from him.

It frightens him a little, and he replies, _Can you come down now? Tonight? I would come to you, but it is nearly dark._

There's no reply, but when Jensen looks up at the mountain, he can see a dark shape rising from the peak, silhouetted against the last rays of the setting sun. "I have to go out," he says to his father.

Evan smiles. "Good luck, son."

He sprints to the nearest open land, a broad meadow next to the river, the ground damp and pulling at his boots. He waves his arms, unsure if Jared can see him in the waning light, but the dragon circles neatly and drops to the earth. There's a gust of wind, and then human Jared is standing before him, draped in a long, dark cloak, arms folded over his chest. His mouth is in a thin line, like he's trying to be expressionless, but there's just enough light from the rising moon for Jensen to see the worry clouding his eyes.

Jensen takes a deep breath. "Jared, I did not mean to insult you. Or to reject you. You know that, do you not?"

Jared looks down at the marshy grass between them. "I understand that was not your intention."

Jensen's heart sinks. "Jared, please. I am still—I cannot understand why you would even be here. Why you would want to court _me_ when you have seen the whole world. Especially when I can't seem to appreciate anything you want to offer me. Surely—" Jensen's throat closes up and he has to clear it before he can go on. "Surely there is someone better suited for you."

"Jensen, no." Jared comes forward, hands resting on Jensen's shoulders. "That is precisely why I am here. You are right—I _have_ seen a great deal of the world, and I have met many people, humans and dragons and many others. But none of them…" He trails off, hands smoothing down Jensen's upper arms. "None of them have made me feel the way that you do."

There's a sudden nervous twisting in Jensen's gut, and it takes him a moment to realize that it's only partially his own emotion. "You—you're nervous," he blurts out, then wants to clap a hand over his own mouth. "I apologize," he says instead. "I'm not familiar—I don't know if it is rude to speak of another person's feelings instead of just their thoughts."

Jared blinks. "You can sense my feelings?"

"Sometimes?" Jensen frowns. "Is there something wrong with that? Is that not supposed to happen?"

"It is extremely rare." Jared is looking at him closely, the moonlight reflecting off of the nearby river enough for Jensen to see something like wonder in his eyes. "It—it usually only happens when two people are…I guess you would say 'in tune' with each other. Like a musical harmony."

Jensen mulls that over for a moment. "Can you sense my feelings?"

Jared shakes his head. "I haven't tried. I haven't noticed anything, though, not in the way that you just did."

"You were nervous," Jensen says slowly. He suddenly realizes how calm he feels, the calm of a difficult decision finally made, and he steps forward to slide his arms around Jared. "No one has ever made me feel the way you do, Jared. You needn't worry about being the only one."

It only takes a second, but the relief that breaks across Jared's face is heartbreaking. He wraps Jensen up in a huge hug, face nestling against Jensen's neck, the scrape of stubble against the underside of his jaw briefly irritating. Jared shifts his position, whispering, "Sorry."

Jensen draws his head back. "You felt that? That I felt it?"

"I guess so?" Jared looks at him speculatively. "Maybe we should try something."

When he leans closer, Jensen responds readily, tilting his face up to close the distance between them. It's a softer kiss than the ones they exchanged the other day, at least at first. Jared seems to be testing or trying something, moving his mouth back and forth against Jensen's lightly, _too_ lightly in Jensen's opinion. Jensen can feel the exasperation building inside of him, and then he hears something like a giggle before Jared is kissing him hard and firm, mouth sinking into his as their chests press together and heads tilt for the right angle.

It feels so good, Jensen can hardly believe it. It's better than the last time they kissed, worlds better, and it takes him a while to realize exactly why. He silently asks a question of Jared, and Jared sheepishly admits that yes, he wanted to see if kissing was going to be even better when they could sense each other's emotions. 

_I had thought you were smarter than that,_ Jensen returns, and the pinch to his side makes him squawk. He retaliates by digging his fingers into Jared's armpits, and the shout of laughter sends glee zinging through him. 

Jared twists away, hands held up in front of him, still laughing, and Jensen lets him go. "That was a worthwhile test," Jensen smirks. "Now I know of your ticklish spots."

"One of them," Jared retorts, and then his eyes go wide as if he said too much.

Jensen throws his head back in a laugh. When he looks at Jared again, he's astonished at the intensity of Jared's gaze, so much so that it makes him go completely sober. He should be frightened by it, in one sense—this is a man he barely knows, a man who's not even a man at all, who has a family Jensen knows nothing about and a history and future much more vast than anything Jensen can imagine in his little valley.

"I think you have made your point," Jensen says, stepping forward. "With the courting. I know that you feel that you have to follow tradition, but I say that this is enough. I know you can provide for me, to the extent that I even need it, and I know what kind of person you are." He takes a deep breath. "What I mean is, I will have you. If you will have me."

"Of course I will," Jared breathes out without a second of hesitation. His eyes are shining, joy lighting up his face, and Jensen can feel that same warmth inside of him. He wonders if this is what it is like to be able to breathe fire, to feel that warmth inside of you and let it out with a roar, but then Jared is kissing him again and there's nothing else he needs to think about.

They stay there for a long time by the riverbank, kissing and murmuring to each other both out loud and in their heads. Jensen feels like he might float up to the stars twinkling above them, and Jared whispers, "I want to take you flying."

"Right now?" Jensen asks.

"Perhaps when it is daylight, so you can see how beautiful the world is from above." Jared's arms are tight around him, his expression earnest as he says, "It would be completely safe, Jensen. I would not let anything happen to you."

He thinks for a moment about what it might be like, soaring up above the valley and the mountaintops, held tightly in one of the dragon's large claws. "I...I think I would like that," he says. 

Jared smiles and brushes a kiss against his lips. "We can start small," he says. "Perhaps you should become used to my other form before we talk about such things."

"Perhaps." Jensen rests his head on Jared's shoulder. "I can't imagine it would be as nice as this, though."

Jared laughs softly. "Perhaps not."

They part reluctantly, Jensen knowing that he has to rise early for the usual chores, Jared promising to meet him. They'll need to talk to his parents as well, now that he's accepted Jared's courting. Not that he even knows what that means at this point, but he supposes he can figure it out.

When he returns to their house, his father is waiting for him. As soon as Jensen walks through the door, Evan gives him a warm smile. "You worked things out, did you?"

Jensen nods, knowing that his happiness is written all over his face. "I know it might seem strange, but—"

"Shh, son, it's all right. We only want you to be happy, and there's no way to deny what we have seen." Evan's smile fades. "Perhaps it's for the best you went up the mountain that day after all."

"I should not have," Jensen replies. "Not the way I did." He meets his father's eyes for a moment, and then goes on, "But it seems to have gone all right so far."

In reply, Evan briefly embraces him, and Jensen hugs his father back. "Get some sleep if you can," Evan says with a knowing look.

True to his father's word, Jensen lies awake for hours, thinking about Jared and what they'd discovered of each other tonight. At times, his mind wanders to what _else_ they might discover of each other—if kissing felt so magical, surely the other things they might do would be truly mind-blowing. That makes it hard to sleep for other reasons, and Jensen rolls onto his side and tries to think about boring things like tending the sheep or finishing the fence.

He finally sleeps for a few hours, but morning comes far too early. It's worth it when he gets outside and sees Jared already waiting for him, the dawn's light barely enough to see him. The nervousness he's radiating must surely be felt by everyone in the village, not just Jensen.

Jensen sends the calm happiness at him that he felt after talking to his father last night, and Jared goes still. "All is well," Jensen says, greeting Jared with a kiss. "But my parents would like to talk to my future husband for a few moments."

Jared looks alarmed, and Jensen soothes him with another kiss. He can feel the same nervousness wafting off of Jared as last night, and it's touching to think that someone so powerful would be worried about what two humans think of him. "It's all right," Jensen says, tugging him forward by the hand.

Inside, his parents are waiting, looking as though they'd freshly scrubbed themselves just for the occasion. Evan shakes Jared's hand, and then Kristine, and then they stand there in awkward silence.

It's his sister Elena who pokes her head in from the next room and asks, "Are you going to make Jensen live in your cave with you?"

"Elena!" Jensen exclaims even as Jared bubbles over with laughter. "No, no, no," Jared says, waving his hands. "I mean, unless he wants to, but I would think we would have a home here in the valley. If that's all right with you."

"Don't you want to be up on the mountain?" Jensen asks. "I mean, there's more room for you, and it must be easier to take off and fly from the heights."

"I wouldn't want to take you so far from your home," Jared replies.

Jensen rolls his eyes. "I can see home from there. It would be fine."

"Apparently you two still have some details you need to work out," Evan interjects.

Jensen turns and sees identical approving grins on his parents' faces. "There are a lot of things to work out," Kristine says. "But I think you are off to a good start."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jared says with a low bow.

"Oh, please, it's Kristine," she says. "No 'ma'am.'"

"Of course." Jared nods his head and says, "Ma'am."

Kristine sighs, but there's a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Evan clears his throat. "I suppose this is the point at which most fathers would give their son-in-law-to-be a strict warning about not hurting their child, but I hardly think there is anything with which I could threaten you anyway."

Jensen can hear the teasing tone to his father's voice, but Jared claps a hand to his heart and says, "No, sir, I would never do anything to hurt Jensen. Please, you have to believe that." He's practically radiating sincerity, and the honesty Jensen feels from him makes him want to bury his face in Jared's neck and wrap his arms around him and never let go.

"I think I do," Evan replies, reaching out to shake Jared's hand again. "You've certainly shown yourself to be honorable in the time that you've been here, Jared. I have no doubts that you'll take care of our boy."

"Thank you, sir," Jared says solemnly. He hesitates and looks at Jensen, then back at Evan. Lowering his voice, he says, "Consecrated silver."

Jensen blinks. "What?"

"It is little known," Jared says quietly, "but there _are_ things that can hurt a dragon, no matter their size. Consecrated silver is one of them. Do you have any in this town?"

"Jared, why would you ask such a thing?" Jensen exclaims, grabbing Jared's arm.

"It's something you should know," Jared says softly. "I know that I am not your equal, not when I am in my other form. I do not want you to feel that you are completely powerless."

"I would never need to hurt you." Jensen glares at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Elena, wide-eyed, watching the conversation. "I don't know what would make you say such a thing."

"It's all right, Jensen," his mother says with a hand on his arm. "It shows that Jared trusts us. A very great deal, I would think."

"That is true." Jared bows his head again. "It seems only fair, for you are trusting me with your son."

"Jensen makes up his own mind," Evan said. Then he gave both of them a warm smile. "But we're pleased with the choice he has made."

Slowly, a smile breaks over Jared's face. "Thank you, sir."

"None of that if you're going to be family," Kristine says sternly. She steps forward and gives Jared a warm hug, which he happily returns. "Now then, Jensen, I think you have some chores to do?"

"Yes, ma'am," he says, but it's with a lilt in his voice, and a smile for Jared as they clasp hands again and escape out of doors.

They're barely to the barn when Jared lets out a gust of breath. "Whew!" 

"See, it wasn't as bad as you had feared," Jensen replies. "It wasn't bad at all, was it?"

"No, not at all. You have a good family, Jensen." Jared gives him a wobbly smile. "I wish you could have met my parents."

"Oh, Jared." He squeezes Jared's hand and tries to think of regret and sorrow and comfort all at the same time. "Me, too."

Jared sniffles a little, but he squeezes Jensen's hand back.

They start working, and it's quiet except for the noises of the animals. Then Jensen asks, "Would you like to tell me about your parents?" He holds up a hand before Jared can reply and says, "Not if you don't want to, or if it is too difficult."

Jared sticks the pitchfork he's holding into the hay. "I think I can," he says slowly. "I think I would like that, actually."

"Good," Jensen says with a smile.

They clean out the stables and feed the animals, and all the while, Jared tells stories about his mother and father. They were large dragons as he is, well-regarded by the rest of the clan, rarely using their human form for reasons he never knew. They raised him to be a warrior and a teacher, both noble professions, but once they were gone, he found it too difficult to stay in his home kingdom.

"What does it look like?" Jensen asks. "Your home?"

"Not so different than here," Jared says. "It borders the sea, so that would be different, but the mountains are tall and peaked, and the valleys are lush and green. There are more people, dragons and humans alike. I do not think there are many villages as isolated as yours." 

Jensen blinks at him. "I suppose I had never thought of us as being isolated."

"I find nothing wrong with that," Jared assures him. "It is only different from most other places."

"Hmmm." They've finished their work in the barn and are heading out to the fields to finally finish that fence. "Did your parents like to travel as much as you?"

"Oh, yes." In no time, Jared is off on another verbal whirlwind, describing the travels he enjoyed with his parents, from when they taught him to fly on a high cliff overlooking the sea, to when they journeyed as humans to the court of the king.

"You are not the rulers of your land?" Jensen asks.

Jared shakes his head. "Why would we be?"

"You are surely the most powerful beings alive," Jensen replies.

"It doesn't mean we wish authority," Jared answers. "Dragons are not meant to dominate, no matter what your previous experiences taught you and your village. We are meant to live with humans, to protect them and live alongside them. How could we rule when we are so different?"

"I could ask the same of you," Jensen replied. "Surely you do not consider yourselves under the king's authority?"

"Of course we do," Jared shrugs. "He is the king."

"Oh." Jensen thinks about that for a while. He knows very little of kings and power, but he had always assumed that the dragons were the most powerful of all. Perhaps that was based on the poor experience his village had had, which as it turns out, is not at all how dragons are supposed to behave. At least, not according to Jared.

It's a warm day, and Jared is soon working shirtless again. When he swings the mallet to drive the fence post into the ground, Jensen takes the opportunity to watch the muscles in his back move, bunching and shifting under his golden skin. It makes him feel warmer inside, almost uncomfortably warm, and it isn't until Jared shoots a sly smile back over his shoulder that he remembers Jared can likely feel everything he's thinking and feeling. His face grows warm, and he looks away.

"Hey." Jared comes up and puts a gentle hand under his chin. "It might be difficult to get used to, yes? Feeling what the other is feeling?"

Jensen nods. "A bit embarrassing, maybe."

A slow smile creeps across Jared's face. "Do not be embarrassed that you like my body. It will make some things much easier."

Jensen buries his face in his hands, and Jared's laughter peals out over the field.

 

They work together for the next several days in perfect harmony, finishing the fence and guiding the sheep inside. The sheep still don't seem wary of Jared even after he picked up one of their companions and flew off, so Jensen concludes that they can't sense his dragon form.

He asks Jared about it, and Jared says, "That's a good observation. It depends on the animal. Some will shy away from me even as a human, while others, usually those that have been domesticated, sense no threat from me this way."

"That's good," Jensen says. "It would be difficult to be the husband of a farmer and not be able to go near the animals."

"Indeed." Jared looms closer, dimples popping into his cheeks. "Husband. I like the sound of that."

"Me too." They share a quick kiss, and then they're back to work.

That evening, they're parting ways with what's become their usual means—long, slow, drawn-out kisses that make Jensen wish he had somewhere more private than his bedroom in his family's house to take Jared—when Jensen feels a flicker of nervousness from Jared. He gives Jared's cheek a light caress as he steps back and asks, "What's the matter?"

"I've been thinking," Jared says. "I know you said you are satisfied with my courting, but there are some things I should bring from my home. Some more of my possessions, some things for you." His thumb briefly rubs across Jensen's chin, just below his lips. "I have something in mind for a wedding gift that I truly think you will like."

Without taking his eyes off of Jared's, Jensen ducks his head to take the tip of Jared's thumb in his mouth and briefly suckle it.

"Gods," Jared breathes out, his gaze locked on Jensen's mouth. Jensen can feel the sudden heat rolling off of him, and it's a thrill to think he can bring desire rushing through Jared with so simple a gesture. 

Then Jared's mouth crashes down on his, and it's not Jared's thumb but his tongue that Jensen is laving, drawing into his mouth and tangling with his own, leaving him breathless in a matter of seconds.

He draws back after only a moment, still half-afraid of that rush of heat he can feel between them, aware that standing beside his family's home isn't the best place to be overcome by such feelings. "I have something in mind for a gift as well," Jensen says in a low voice.

"And I look forward to unwrapping every. inch. of. it." Jared punctuates his words with presses of his lips to Jensen's neck, a slight flick of his tongue sending shivers down Jensen's spine. They've been teasing each other like this for days now, aware that their wants are the same but that they're going to hold back for now. Jensen supposes they could go up to Jared's cave and do whatever they wanted to each other, but he suspects that Jared thinks he's old-fashioned enough to want to wait until they are married. Given the speed at which their relationship has been moving, that probably won't be far off anyway.

Jensen ducks away and takes Jared's hands in his. "When would you leave?"

"When you can spare me. I know the fence in the easternmost pasture still needs mending, and after that—"

"We can manage." Jensen lays his fingers over Jared's lips. "We would manage if you were not here, after all."

"All right." Jared presses a kiss to Jensen's fingers. "Then I should leave as quickly as I can, for then I will be back sooner, and then we can be married."

"Will your family come as well?" Jensen asks. "For the wedding?"

"Do you want them to?"

"They are your family, Jared," Jensen says with a shrug. "They should be here if you want them to."

"I wonder what your elders would think of a dozen dragons flying into the valley at once," Jared muses.

Jensen swallows at the thought of what that must look like. "If they are all like you, then I am certain they would not object at all."

Jared's face softens, and he gives Jensen another kiss. "I will discuss it with them," he says. "Perhaps only a few."

"Will they..." Jensen hesitates. "Will they mind? That I am human?"

"Jensen, no, not a bit." Jared tightens his arms around him. "It is common for dragons to choose humans as their partners. No one will mind. Once they meet you, they will be as pleased as I am to know you."

"As long as you're the only one I marry," Jensen replies, and he's pleased when Jared throws back his head on a loud laugh.

Then something else occurs to Jensen, and he tentatively asks, "Should...should I come with you? To meet your people?"

"I would like that," Jared says quietly. "But it's a long journey, and you haven't flown with me even as far as the top of the valley. We should do that first before traveling for days at a time, in case you do not like the view from so high."

"I can manage," Jensen says, jutting out his jaw.

"My brave Jensen." Jared brushes a kiss across his lips. "There will be time for that, my heart. I appreciate that you wish to travel with me, but I think it would be better to wait."

"I understand." Jensen cocks his head to the side. "What did you call me?"

It might be the waning light, but he thinks he sees a blush steal across Jared's features. "It is only a phrase. Something my mother and father used to call each other. If you do not like it—"

"I like it." Jensen rests a palm over Jared's chest. "My heart."

Jared beams at him. "Exactly."

"I'll miss you, my heart," Jensen says with a meaningful look.

"Me, too," Jared replies with a softer smile.

They kiss for a long time after that, not so heated or teasing anymore, but as the "goodbye" that neither of them can bring themselves to say. It's nearly dark by the time they part with one last kiss, and Jensen watches Jared disappear down the road and past the trees. A moment later, there's a slight tremor beneath his feet, and then a dark shape is rising up, silhouetted against the twilight sky as Jared makes his way home.

Jensen had forgotten to ask how long Jared would be away, but he assumed it would be roughly the same amount of time. So when six weeks go by and he has heard no word from Jared, he starts to become nervous. Maybe Jared's people aren't as accepting of his choice as he expected. Maybe he encountered trouble on the way there or back, or maybe he decided once he was away from Jensen that he was better off with someone of his own kind.

Every time Jensen has a thought like that, though, he sternly reminds himself of the look in Jared's eyes when he called him "my heart." It had been the kind of expression that Jensen could never have imagined being on the receiving end of, not from a man as strong and handsome and brilliant as Jared was. He had known the same look was on his own face from the wonder and joy he had felt from Jared, and that was what settled his mind. There were definitely some advantages to being able to sense your beloved's emotions. 

If only he could do it from a greater distance, Jensen thinks.

It's a warm summer day, and he's watching the sheep in the easternmost meadow, up towards the top of the valley. They seem to be doing well this year, with access to more and greener grass, and he hopes that all this year's lambs will survive, to bulk up the flock and to replace the one he'd lost to Jared's well-intentioned thievery. He's caught fleeting thoughts from Jared about how easy it would be to carry in sheep or cows or other resources from a neighboring valley, or even one farther away. But Jared has decided to respect Jensen's wishes and his hard work, and to leave him and his fellow villages to make it on their own, and Jensen loves him even more for it.

He _loves_ Jared. How strange, to think that a few short months ago he didn't even know the person who now feels like the center of his world.

A shadow falls over him, and Jensen wipes his brow, grateful for the cloud as a respite from the sun. Then he hears a whooshing sound, and he looks up, startled. Shouldn't he have been able to hear Jared—

There _is_ a dragon circling overhead, but its wings are dark blue, almost black, and its body is thicker than Jared's. Jensen shades his eyes and watches it circle almost lazily in the sky, flying over the village and back, head turning from side to side as though it's looking for someone.

Despite the warm air, a cold prickle crosses Jensen's shoulders.

The dragon finishes circling over the village, wings fully outstretched, and rounds the high end of the valley, almost directly overhead from where Jensen is watching. It almost hovers for a moment, and then to Jensen's shock, it drops its wings and dives towards the earth.

And then it opens its mouth, and with a roar, fire rushes forth.

The sheep start panicking, running for the far side of the field, away from the now-burning trees beside the water. The dragon roars overhead and pulls up, wings flapping with a crack, and Jensen ducks even though the creature is still well overhead.

He sees red eyes as the dragon flies by, and he turns even colder. When the elders told stories of the dragon that used to ravage their village, its eyes weren't a kindly blue-green like Jared's. They were red and hard like coals in the fire, like those of the beast turning overhead and swooping down in a second pass, fire spraying from its mouth and lighting up the fence on the far side of the meadow that he and Jared so painstakingly built. The wood is charred within a moment, much faster than it would burn in a regular fire, and now Jensen is well and truly terrified.

The sheep are huddled against the fence, and he kicks at a loose board until it gives way. They pour out through the opening, scattering across the meadow and towards the trees on the far side, frightened _baa_ s trailing in their wake.

Jensen turns tail and runs the other way. He can hear shouts, but at least for the moment, the dragon hasn't touched the village. If it were to turn its fire on their buildings instead of their forest, he can't bear to think of what would happen to the people inside, not with how quickly that fence burned.

Breathless, he reaches the main road to see Kenneth and the rest of the elders shepherding everyone into the stone chapel. The roof is of slate, meant to endure for longer than wood, and Jensen hopes it's proof against dragon fire.

"Jensen!"

It's his mother, and she's standing in the middle of the road, pointing behind him, eyes wide. "Run!" 

Feeling as though he's in a nightmare, Jensen slowly turns around, just as the ground shakes beneath his feet.

The dragon has come to land on the very edge of the village, one clawed foot nearly brushing the fence in front of Jensen's home. Its wings are curved high overhead, throwing a dark shadow over the village and the now-screaming people running for the chapel. Its scales are dark and gleaming in the sunlight, and as it raises its head to look down upon the village, Jensen sees its red eyes glow.

As loudly as he can, he cries out in his head, _Jared!_

The dragon suddenly goes still, and for a moment, it feels like the entire world is holding its breath. Then, slowly, it lowers its head, both of those ember-bright eyes fixed on Jensen. He hears a voice in his head, booming and terrible, louder than Jared ever was. _You are the other one's mate?_

"Jensen!" his mother screams again. "No!" 

He realizes suddenly that they can all hear this dragon, that while Jared's thoughts are limited to him alone, for some reason this creature can be heard by everyone. There's no question of how he's going to respond, not when he's already seen what this dragon can do, and so he lifts his chin and says with all of the pride he can put into his voice, "Yes, I am."

There's a sound like an avalanche, and Jensen looks around in panic before he remembers the first time he heard Jared laugh. This is deeper, crueler, but it's still a dragon's laugh. _So brave for one so small_ , the dragon says. It cocks its head and lowers it nearly to the earth. Hot air is wafting out of its nostrils, each one of which is as tall as Jensen, and the air is tinged with the scent of rotten eggs. _I see what he sees, though. Had I known this backwater province would produce such a treasure, I would not have left all those years ago._

Jensen hears a gasp from behind him, and he looks over his shoulder to see Kenneth standing with a hand to his mouth, the last of the villagers disappearing behind him into the chapel. "You," the elder says.

_Me_ , the dragon replies, and it opens its mouth, showing long, pointed teeth each as long as the blade of a scythe. 

It feels like standing in front of the blacksmith's forge, and Jensen throws up one arm against the heat. "No," he calls out. "Don't hurt him. Please."

_What do you offer instead?_ the dragon replies.

There is only one way to answer that, and Jensen draws himself up to his full height. "Myself."

"Jensen, no!" Elder Kenneth calls, but Jensen's attention is fixed on the dragon. 

Its lips are curving back, showing all of those sharp teeth, and Jensen realizes in horror that it's smiling. _And what would I want with something so small as you?_

Jensen switches into the silent talking he can carry out with Jared, hoping the rest of the village cannot hear. _Your old arrangement,_ he says. _You left the village alone in exchange for a virgin._

_You are betrothed_ , the dragon hisses back. _Do not take me for a fool._

_I don't_ , Jensen replies with a duck of his head. _But I am pure. I swear to you._

He can sense the skepticism coming off of the dragon—not the same way he knows what Jared is feeling, for which he's grateful. He doesn't want to sense anything that's going on in this creature's mind. Finally, it raises its head and looks down on him. _You will come with me, and I will spare this village._

"And everyone in it," Jensen quickly adds.

_Done_. That horrible smile crosses the gigantic face in front of Jensen. _I hope you have said your goodbyes._

The dragon lifts one clawed foot and brings it towards Jensen, and for a horrible moment he thinks it's going to skewer him right then and there. Instinctively, he ducks, and then he feels the claw close around him, dig _under_ him, the cobblestones of the street shifting and crumbling beneath his feet.

Then he's being lifted _up_ , and Jensen yelps at the sensation of leaving the ground. He's surrounded by dirt and stones, shifting and pressing all around him, and when he twists to free his leg, it's suddenly left dangling over empty space. Rocks fall away beneath him, and when he sees how rapidly the ground is disappearing below, he reaches out to grab onto anything he can.

What he grabs a hold of is the warm, hard material of the dragon's claw. When he realizes it, he almost lets go again, but then his stomach makes a sickening swoop as they rise higher, and he holds on tighter, trying to keep back a moan. The dark chuckle he hears in his head only makes him more miserable, and he fires back, _Jared will find you._

_I rather hope that he does._ The claws tighten around Jensen, and he twists in their grip to avoid having his limbs crushed. _Once I've defeated him and reclaimed my valley, I can take you for my own as well_.

_That will never happen,_ Jensen seethes.

_Watch your tone_ , the dragon barks back, his voice echoing unpleasantly inside Jensen's head. _You would not want me to let go._

Despite himself, Jensen looks out between the dragon's claws, and he sees the valley floor so very far below. They're higher than even the mountaintops, and he slams his eyes shut and bites back a whimper, trying not to think about all of the empty air between him and the ground.

_Jared!_ he calls out again, knowing that there's no way he can be heard. _Help me!_

The only reply he gets is the whistle of the wind as he's carried ever higher, and that same low, dark chuckle from his captor.


	3. Chapter 3

After what seems like an eternity, Jensen sees the ground coming up to meet them. It's the top of the ridge, the same place where he met Jared for the first time. The dragon settles down on top of the rocks and lets go of Jensen with a flick of its large wrist, sending him rolling across the rocky mountaintop and flailing to grab a hold of rocks or roots or anything to keep from falling down the other side.

The dragon laughs again, and when Jensen finally finds his footing and stands up, he glares at it. "Why is it so amusing to you to laugh at someone so small? Is that the only way you can feel powerful?"

Instantly, the dragon roars in response, fire jetting out of its mouth and washing over the rocks down the side of the mountain. Jensen can feel its heat, and he wonders for a moment if he was close enough to be burned. Looking down, he sees pink skin on his arm as though he had been in the sun too long. A breeze washes over him, sending a sharp shiver over his skin in contrast to the frightening heat he just felt. 

When he looks up, the dragon has raised itself to its full height, towering over him. _I have more power than you know,_ it roars. Jensen puts his hands to his ears, but it doesn't help: it's so loud inside his head that it hurts. _My lineage is pure, not tainted like your Jared's._ It turns its head to the side and spits out a gout of fire that curls around a stand of pine trees partway down the mountainside, instantly setting them alight. _He would weaken us by mating with a lesser being. He must be stopped._

"He said that you aren't a true dragon," Jensen shoots back. "That you're barbaric and a disgrace to your people."

_He is the one who is the disgrace._ The dragon's lips draw back in a snarl. _And you are the one who will pay_. 

The dragon's forearm shoots out towards Jensen, much faster than anything that large should be able to move. He dodges to the side, but the dragon's rough palm hits him full in the chest and sends him staggering back, crashing to the rocky ground. He groans in pain and looks up in time to see four claws sinking into the earth on all sides, pinning him into place as though he were in a cage.

The fifth claw comes to rest almost delicately right over his heart.

Jensen freezes, holding his breath. If he moves the tiniest bit, the sharp claw he can feel against his skin will cut through him. But it would only take the tiniest bit of pressure for it to lean forward and pin him to the ground like an insect, which, after all might be what he is to this beast. It's _nothing_ like Jared, nothing at all, and while it might not be surprising to find that there are evil dragons and good dragons the same way there are evil and good people, Jensen never imagined he would find out so directly.

He's staring up at the dragon, its red eyes blazing as it regards him. Finally, it lifts its claw, and he lets out his breath in relief.

Then he lets out a shout as the claws dig in again, scraping away at the rock and dirt beneath him. He's tumbling down into a small pit, growing with every swipe of the dragon's claws, until he's standing knee-deep in a pile of loose soil and looking up at the sky from a pit deeper than even human Jared is tall.

_Stay_ , the dragon rumbles with an undercurrent of amusement.

Then it draws back and flaps its mighty wings, taking off into the air, and Jensen is left alone.

He tries to climb out of the pit all afternoon, as the sun washes across the sky. His stomach growls, and he's parched, but every time he manages to make headway up the side of the pit, the loose dirt and rocks shift and fall around him, and he's back where he started. Finally, he collapses in the shade of the side of the pit, feeling the sweat cooling on his back and wrapping his arms around himself to keep from shivering. Despite the summer heat down in the valley, it will be cold up here come nightfall, and he doesn't want to be left like this outside.

With that in mind, Jensen tries again, arms aching and fingernails breaking, legs slipping and sliding as he tries to make his way up. It's no use, though, and he settles on a second task: building a nest of sorts to burrow under the dirt and keep himself warm as he can.

It's after nightfall when he hears the dragon return. There's a soft roar and a gout of flame overhead as the dragon uses its fire to light its view. It looks down on Jensen and, seemingly satisfied, disappears. Jensen hears its footsteps trundling towards the cave, and he thinks despairingly of the torc and book that Jared gave him, tucked away somewhere in the cave and now vulnerable to this creature's desires.

Not surprisingly, Jensen sleeps exceedingly poorly. His muscles ache and he's cold, but above all, he's afraid of what the morning will bring. When he dreams, it's of fire and running as fast as he can across the valley floor, hearing the dragon laughing behind him, screaming at Jared to get out of the way, watching in horror as Jared stands there in his human form and raises a single wooden spear in the air, only to be snatched up in the dragon's claws and crushed like a twig.

Jensen awakes with a gasp. There's faint light overhead, as though the sun is starting to rise. The cold horror of his dream won't leave, and he knows he won't sleep any more. His stomach is growling almost painfully, but he sets that aside. He's had to do without breakfast before during a difficult winter, and it's the least of his concerns right now anyway.

He's torn between trying to attract the dragon's attention and keeping quiet. He might get some water, since he can't ignore his thirst as well as he can his hunger, but he doesn't want it to torment or threaten him more than it already has. Drawing his knees to his chest, Jensen stares up at the sky and watches it change from deep blue to the gentle blue that Jared's eyes take on when he's looking up at the sky.

_Ridiculous_ , the dragon growls inside his head. _You are not worthy of us. You should not be mooning about over your masters like that._

"You're no better than us," Jensen shouts back. "You are people just as we are. Just because you're larger doesn't make you better."

_Oh, but it does._ The sun disappeared as the dragon loomed overhead, head tilted so it can see Jensen with both eyes. _You have already seen that, trapped as you are, cowering down in that hole like the animal you are._

"I'm not afraid of you," Jensen calls. 

_You should be._

Before Jensen can formulate a response to that ominous reply, he hears another voice, faint but clear. _Jensen?_

_Jared?_ he silently shouts, hope rising sharply within him. Jared must be close if he can hear him, maybe even within sight.

_I'm coming, Jensen, I'm—_

_Be careful!_ Jensen cries. _The old dragon is here, and he's taken me to your cave. He means you harm, Jared,_ please _be careful._

There's a distant growl, like thunder on the horizon. He's never heard Jared make that noise before, and while it has terrified him to hear it from his captor, in Jared's familiar tone, it's only reassuring. _I am coming_ , Jared growls. _Do not lay a hand on him_.

The dark blue dragon overhead throws back its head and releases a jet of flame. It shoots up into the air like a beacon, and the dragon's lack of fear at Jared's approach only increases Jensen's worry. Does Jared even know how to fight?

_It is as you said,_ the dragon says, sounding amused. _Your Jared has come for you, unworthy as you are_. There's another distant snarl, and Jensen realizes that the conversation is three-way, that all of them can hear each other. The dragon goes on, _Let us see how quick he is, hmm?_

Before Jensen has time to wonder what that means, the dragon's claws are digging down into the pit around him. One sharp tip snags on the edge of his shirt, and he cries out as it scratches his side. Just as in the village, he's being lifted up along with the dirt and rocks around him in the pit, raining down from the dragon's grip as he's pulled out of the pit and away from the ground, rising higher and higher as the dragon's wings flap and it soars into the air.

_If this one is so precious to you,_ the dragon calls out, _come and get him_.

Jensen feels himself moving backwards through the air, the remainder of the rocks falling away to the ground below. Before he can figure out what's going on, he's accelerating forwards, sailing through the open air, because _the dragon has thrown him off of the mountaintop._

Jensen screams when he realizes it, pure terror shooting through him as he realizes he's flying through the air, nothing below him but acres and acres of empty air and then the sharp rocks of the mountainside far below. His mind is blank of everything but his fear, eyes tight shut so that he won't see the ground rushing up to meet him, won't see himself be dashed to pieces on the rocks.

The wind is roaring in his eyes, and as it gets louder, he shudders with the knowledge that this must be it, he's about to hit, he'll be—

The landing jolts him from head to toe, but he can feel it. He can feel the ground beneath him, and no, wait, it's still moving, and there's a voice shouting at him, _Jensen, Jensen, are you all right, Jensen?!_

Jensen dares to open one eye and sees only darkness. In a panic that he _did_ hit the ground and did die and this is the afterlife, he opens both eyes wide and looks around wildly. The earth is moving beneath him, but he sees patterns of light among the dark, and when he heaves in a shaky breath, the scent that envelops him is so familiar and comforting that he falls back with a thump.

He's in Jared's dragon-sized hands, both of them, cupped together, holding him close to Jared's mighty chest as his wings beat faster and carry them away to safety.

_Oh, Gods. Jensen, are you all right?_

"Yes," he calls out. "Yes, I'm—Jared, how did you—?"

_He will pay for this,_ Jared replies in a steely tone. _For making you suffer, and for trying to_ kill _you, and for—_

_Jared, it is all right_ , Jensen says. _I'm safe. You—you saved me._

_It was too near a thing._ He can feel the fear wafting off Jared, an echo of what he'd been feeling a moment ago, and Gods, how terrifying it must have been for Jared to feel all of that coming from him. _Jensen, I learned some things at my home. There are too many to tell you right now, but there are two you need to know._

Jensen feels their speed slow, and then they are alighting somewhere, Jared taking a few steps for balance before coming to a halt. _I would transform, but it takes time, and it takes strength that I am afraid I will need for what is about to happen._

_Jared, what do you mean?_ Jensen twists in his grasp, wanting to see more of Jared than just his scaly skin, desperate to at least see those familiar blue-green eyes.

_Two things, Jensen. The first is that there are others on the way. They will not harm you, nor anyone in your village. They will know who you are, and what you are to me, and they will treat you well._

"I don't understand," Jensen says aloud. "Why are they not with you? Why can you not tell them these things yourself?"

_Because I flew back the instant I knew he was here_ , Jared replies, a hint of that angry growl in his voice. _His name is Hezron. He is not only the one who terrorized your people all those years ago. He has terrorized mine as well. Jensen, he killed my parents._

"What?" Jensen puts a hand on one of Jared's claws, wishing fiercely that he could embrace him. "What does that mean?"

_It means he is mine_ , Jared replies, the growl turning deeper. _It means I have a claim to fight him, and now more than ever. Hezron will not leave this valley today, Jensen. I swear it._

"Shouldn't you wait until the others arrive?" Jensen asks nervously.

_Not with what he has done to you, and threatened to do to your people. He will do worse if I do not stop him now._ The image flashes through Jensen's mind of being held in Jared's embrace, warm and secure, of their lips pressing together over and over again. _Be safe, my heart. I will return if I can._

And with that, Jensen's being gently set down before Jared leaps into the sky, wings straining and a ground-shaking roar issuing forth that can be nothing other than a dragon's challenge. 

Jensen stumbles backward, coming up against the trunk of a tree before his legs collapse and he sits down with a hard thump. The events of the past few minutes are racing through his head over and over, the mind-numbing terror of his fall and the relief of knowing that Jared reached him in time, and then Jared's last message and—

Jared's last message. Jensen grows cold as he realizes what Jared did not say. He goes to fight the enemy dragon, but he does not expect to survive.

Jensen forces himself to his feet and looks around. He doesn't even know where he is, much less how to get to a place where he can help Jared. _If_ he can help Jared. Jensen was so small and powerless before Hezron, how can he do anything to fight him?

Overhead, there's a second roar, and the dark blue dragon comes soaring over the mountain, answering Jared's cry. Jensen realizes with a shock that he's in his valley, only a short way up the side of the mountain, near the path that leads to Jared's cave. He must have been thrown over the far side, he realizes, and he whispers a prayer of thanks that no one in his village would have seen him falling towards what would have looked like certain death. 

Then he looks at the ground below and starts moving down the hillside as quickly as he can. There's no path, nothing but trees and loose rock that will twist his ankle if he isn't careful, but he has to get clear. He knows what dragon fire can do, and standing in the middle of a forest seems like an ill-advised idea with two of the giant creatures fighting above.

There are more roars from overhead, but Jensen can't see anything through the trees. One roar turns into a screech, and he wonders what the two dragons are saying to each other. 

Jensen comes to a dead halt. He should be able to hear what they're saying to each other. He heard it a moment ago, everything his captor said and—

_Everything he wanted you to hear_ , Jensen thinks. Of course he couldn’t hear everything in the dragon's head, or he would have known what was going to happen when he was pulled from the pit. He looks up through the branches, trying to get a glimpse of the dragons, but there's nothing to see. Gritting his teeth, he keeps moving downhill as fast as he can.

He reaches a clear patch of land as the slope starts to turn more gentle, and then he begins to run, a measured pace that will get him to the village quickly but with strength to spare. He has to go home, tell his family what has happened, and maybe together they can figure out what to do.

There's another screech overhead, and Jensen looks up, shading his eyes. This time, he can see the two dragons circling near the highest peak at the head of the valley, almost looking like birds from this height, except for the curve of their tails and the bend of their wings.

One dragon dives at the other, fire spewing forth, and the second one jerks away as the fire glances off of its belly. Jensen understands now why Jared's scales are so thick, if they need to withstand the terrible heat of dragon fire.

"Jared," he whispers, suddenly caught by fear. He can't tell from this distance which dragon is which, doesn't know which one to pray for as they circle each other again, testing with swipes of fire and claw that look terrible enough, but which are certainly only the prelude to the real battle.

Finally, Jensen reaches the dirt path that leads to the village, and he can run faster. He keeps looking over his shoulder at the dragons, who are swooping and darting near the head of the valley. A few small blazes are burning in the forest below, a result of the fire they're aiming at each other.

"Jensen!" 

The steeple of the chapel is in barely in sight, but there are people streaming towards him, Elder Harold in the lead. Jensen's parents are not far behind, and they break out into a run when they see him.

He collapses into their arms, holding onto them fiercely, ducking down when Elena worms her way in to give her an embrace of her own. He knows he's covered in dirt and sweat and must look terrible, but they're all holding on to him as though they thought they would never see him again.

Truth be told, they had good reason to think so.

"Is it Jared?" Evan finally asks, pointing up to the sky.

"It is." Jensen shivers. "Papa, he's terrible. The other dragon. Hezron. He—he's the one who killed Jared's parents." He looks up at the two figures darting around each other high overhead. "And the one who used to be in this valley."

"Why is Jared fighting him?" Elena asks. "Isn't he afraid?"

Jensen suddenly realizes that he had no idea what Jared was feeling in the brief moment they had together. "Even if he is, he's being brave about it," he replies. "He's trying to protect us."

"He's not alone." Elder Harold puts a hand on Jensen's shoulder. "Your father told us what Jared told you. For many years, we have had artifacts in the chapel whose purpose we did not know. Silver is a strange material for a spear, but we had thought it was ceremonial, since one of our yearly rituals is to bless it. Now, we understand its purpose. I only wish we had known it sooner."

"You cannot mean to fight with that." Kirsten points at the tall wooden spear with a silver head that the elder is holding on to. "Not something as large as a dragon."

"At last not while they are up in the sky," Evan mutters.

"I have to try," Jensen says. "Mama, he's here because of me. He's fighting for us because of me, and if there's anything I can do to help him, I have to."

She takes hold of both of Jensen's shoulders, looking up at him. He outgrew her many summers ago, but he's always felt like he is smaller than his mother, or at least always under her protective wing. Now, even with worried tears shining in her eyes, she leans up on her toes to kiss his forehead and steps back. "I understand," she says in a whisper. "But be careful, Jensen. For all of us, be careful."

"I will." Carefully, Jensen takes the spear from Elder Harold and looks up and down its length. The wood is old, but as he taps it on the packed dirt of the road, it feels solid. The head is a simple point, the silver clean and shiny even though it must be many years old. The elder is looking at him knowingly, and Jensen ducks his head to receive a blessing before swinging up onto the horse that his father has brought and settling the spear at his side.

"We'll see you soon," Evan says with a hand on Jensen's leg. "You and Jared both."

"Gods willing," Jensen replies. Then he turns and rides, quickly as he can, towards where he last saw the dragons circling.

They're fighting for real now, barbed tails whipping at each other, sharp claws reaching and tearing, necks twisting and rearing as they try to bite and scratch at each other. They're lower than they were before, beneath the tallest mountain peaks. They must be getting tired, Jensen thinks, and he spurs on his horse even faster.

There's a sharp screech from overhead, and in the same instant, Jensen feels a burning pain lance down his side. He cries out, and suddenly he can hear Jared in his head. He's caught up in the fight, cursing himself for leaving his side unguarded to a swipe of Hezron's claws, and Jensen realizes with a shock that whatever shield Jared had put up to block his thoughts and emotions, it has broken down. 

_Be strong_ , Jensen thinks, flinging the thought upwards like the spear his hand rests on. _We are with you, Jared. Be strong._.

There's a startled exclamation, and then he sees Jared swooping higher before diving down, fire from his mouth lancing along the other dragon's wing, burning a hole through the membrane. A terrible scream echoes through the valley, and Hezron starts to flap his wings to extinguish the remaining fire and to try and keep his altitude. 

_Stay strong!_ Jensen calls out. He's almost directly beneath the dragons now, and he looks up, warning Jared not to let down his guard. He can feel the sharp pain in his side that Jared is feeling, but he grits his teeth and pushes it aside, hoping that he's enabling Jared to do the same.

The two dragons dance back and forth again, Jared's side wounded and Hezron with a hurt wing. They're still evenly matched, and they continue to score hits on each other as they fly ever lower, now close enough for Jensen to see the blood running down Jared's side. 

Then Jared twists a bit too far, the same way he did before, and the dark blue dragon takes advantage once again. He sinks his claws into Jared's side, tearing at the wound he's already made, and Jared and Jensen scream in unison, the pain enough to make them black out.

When Jensen comes to, his fists are clenched in the horse's mane like he's trying to keep himself upright, and he's chanting his own name over and over. With a start, he realizes that it's Jared's voice he's hearing and Jared's pain he's feeling, not his own. 

He looks up to see the two dragons falling towards the earth, Jared's claws hooked into Hezron's scales, holding him in place since his damaged wing is too weak to lift it away.

They hit the ground with a crash that rattles Jensen's teeth, shaking the trees around them. He yells at the deep, throbbing pain in his arm that wasn't there before, like it's been broken, and when he looks up, he sees that one of Jared's wings bent beneath him when he hit the ground.

Jensen's horse shies at the sight of the two large beasts so close, but he steadies it and directs it towards where the two giant bodies are still locked in their fighting embrace. He can feel Jared weakening, and he grits his teeth and sends all of the strength he can in Jared's direction.

Hezron has fallen on top of Jared, and he rears up now, head drawn back. His jaws open wide, and as he approaches, Jensen can see right up his maw, can see the flames heating up from inside of him and ready to pour out onto Jared from close range. Surely even the armor provided by a dragon's scales will be useless at that close a range, and the fear and resignation he feels coming from Jared confirm that it's true.

Jensen's probably too far away, and he doesn't even know if it will work. But there's nothing else he can do, and he has to do _something_. Standing up in the stirrups, urging his frightened horse forward at full tilt, Jensen hefts the spear in his hand and draws it back, sighting along its silver head towards the dragon's gaping mouth.

Then with all of his strength, he lets it fly.

The fire is starting to gush forth from Hezron's throat when Jensen's spear, looking as tiny as a sliver, flies straight and true into its mouth. The wooden shaft instantly burns to a cinder, but the silver blade sinks into the side of the dragon's mouth. Jensen watches in despair—how can that have done anything more that the bite of a fly would do to him? He brings his horse up sharply, ready to wheel around and run should Hezron decide to come after him instead.

The dragon's fire is cut short. It rears its head up, roaring anger and pain into the sky. It whips its head back and forth and roars again, the spearhead apparently having stayed put. Jensen can scarcely believe it, but what Jared had told him and his family was true—there's something about the consecrated silver that makes it more dangerous than an ordinary spearhead could possibly be.

And then Jared, pinned under the other dragon's weight, one wing broken, blood trickling from his side, lunges upwards. With a snap of his jaws, he closes his mouth around Hezron's extended neck and clenches, tightly. Jensen can hear the crunch of bone, can feel the blood running into his mouth, and he chokes down his revulsion so as not to distract Jared.

There's a muffled shriek, and Hezron convulses, both wings flapping uselessly. He kicks out at Jared, his claws scoring a few more hits, but Jared is determined, locking his teeth in place and holding on for all that he's worth. "Be strong," Jensen whispers, clenching his fists and directing every ounce of strength and belief he has in Jared's direction.

Finally, the dark blue dragon gives one last, long shudder, and collapses on top of Jared.

Everything goes still. Jensen is panting for air as though he ran all the way here from the village. When Jared finally lets go, his head falling back on the earth with a shudder, Jensen understands where all of his energy has gone. _Hold on, Jared_ , he calls out, dismounting so quickly he almost gets tangled in the stirrups. _I'm coming._

_Jensen,_ is the whispered reply. _Jensen, I can't..._

Whatever Jared's about to say, it's lost in the whirlwind that suddenly sweeps around both dragons. Jensen throws up a hand against the dirt and leaves being flung through the air, and before everything has fallen still, he's racing forward to where a single, dead dragon lies alone on the ground.

Beside him, bleeding and bare, Jared's human form lies stretched out in the dirt.

"No!" Jensen shouts as he slides from his horse and makes a beeline for Jared. "What did you do?" he calls. "You said transforming took too much of your strength." He slides to his knees at Jared's side, hands hovering over him, unsure if there's anywhere he can touch.

Slowly, one of Jared's eyes cracks open. The other has a nasty cut above it, blood trickling down over Jared's lashes. "Jensen," he whispers.

"It's all right, don't talk," Jensen hushes him. "Jared, you were magnificent. You saved us."

"Good." Jared's eye flutters shut. "Glad...you're...safe."

He hears something else in his head, a faint _I love you_.

And then Jared's head falls to the side and he goes completely still.

Jensen mutters, "No, no, Jared, no, please." He puts two fingers to Jared's neck and feels a weak pulse, so very weak. There's at least a dozen cuts on Jared's body, most of them even worse than the one over his eye, his right arm is bent at an odd angle on the ground, and his face is as pale as snow. "Why did you do it?" Jensen mutters. "Why did you transform?"

But Jared doesn't answer, not even in his head.

There's the sound of hoof beats, and Jensen looks up sharply. His mother is at the head of five riders heading towards them, her saddlebags of medicines and the other materials of the healer at her side, and Jensen gasps in relief. "Help him!" he calls as she dismounts and hurries towards them. "Please."

"I'll try," she replies with the quickest of glances before focusing her attentions on Jared. 

Jensen has watched her work before, from healing their own family to the rest of the village, from broken bones to the harshest of fevers. He knows that unless she asks for help, the best thing to do is to stay well out of her way. But he can't move from Jared's side, can't take his eyes off that pale, still face streaked with blood. 

"Get water," Kirsten says, pressing a bucket into his hands. "The stream is close at hand."

Jensen stumbles to the water, giving the fallen dragon a wide berth, going upstream from where its body lies in case its blood has seeped into the water. He fills the bucket and hurries back.

His mother sets him to wiping the blood from Jared's face with a clean, wet cloth as she looks over the rest of his wounds. Behind her, Evan and two other men are setting up a small tent, and Jensen frowns. "What is that for?"

"He fell to the earth, Jensen. Even if it was in a much larger form, his neck or back might have been injured. It would be better not to move him, but he should have some shelter."

"Oh." Jensen sits back on his heels. "That...that is a good idea."

"Keep going," she replies, waving at the bloody cloth in his hand.

He's finished wiping Jared's face clean by the time Kirsten has finished her first examination. "There are a number of cuts, some deep, but I can sew the ones that need it. Do you know if there was anything on the dragon's claws? Any poison, anything that might be in the wounds?"

Jensen shrugs helplessly. "From what I know, only dirt."

"We will have to clean them well." Kirsten sighs. "Jensen, I will try my best, but I do not know if there are ways in which he is different from us. It might be that my herbs will not work the same, or that he needs something we cannot give him or that I do not know about."

"I understand." He puts a hand on Jared's bare chest, feeling the faint, weak beat of his heart.

"Jensen, I might not be able to save him."

Jensen lifts his head, and his voice sounds like a child's as he says to his mother, "You can. I know you can."

The rest of the day blurs into one long nightmare for Jensen. He's so tired, having slept barely at all the night before and then going through so much today, but he has to be strong for Jared. If there's any way Jared can still sense him, he has to be able to draw as much strength from Jensen as possible. So he sits there holding Jared's hand, barely noticing as his father and the others move the tent over them and stake it into place. He moves only to help lift Jared and place him on a pallet of blankets to keep him off of the ground. Out of the sun and in the shade of the tent, Jensen suddenly starts to shiver, and he can see goosebumps breaking out on Jared's skin as well. They've covered him with a light blanket, but in the hand that Jensen's holding, he can see blue at the base of Jared's fingernails.

His mother frowns when he points it out. "It is hardly cold out," she says, wiping sweat from her own brow. She feels Jared's forehead, and her frown grows deeper. "He should not be so cold."

"Is it a fever?" Jensen says. 

"He normally has fire inside of him," Kirsten muses. "Perhaps being too warm is not a way for his body to fight as it would be for us. That is a good thought, Jensen." Over her shoulder, she says, "We need more blankets, my love."

"I will ride back and fetch more," Evan replies. "The sun will be going down soon."

Kirsten hesitates as she looks at Jensen. Then she gives a sharp shake of her head. "You can warm him," she says. "There is room for you both."

He blinks at her, confused. "What?"

She rolls her eyes. "Beneath the covers. You can keep him warm. It is unusual, but this is an unusual situation, yes?"

"Oh." Jensen feels his cheeks getting warm, and he can see the same blush on his mother's face. "But he's not...under the blanket he's..."

"Jensen, he needs you," Kirsten replies. "Propriety be damned."

There's not much of an argument Jensen can make to that, and so he carefully slides beneath the blanket, legs alongside Jared's, his chest along Jared's side. He decides it will work best if he acts as another blanket, and he gingerly lifts Jared's good arm around him and puts his head on Jared's chest. When he realizes he can hear the beat of Jared's heart this way, he smiles, draping his arm over Jared's chest. He checks to be sure he's not resting his weight on any of Jared's bandaged wounds and then settles in, closing his eyes.

There's something he needed to remember, and he's almost asleep when he finally does. It jolts him awake, and he reaches out to grab his mother's wrist. "There are going to be more dragons," he says. "Jared said they were coming."

Kirsten's face goes white.

"No, no." Jensen squeezes her wrist. "Not like that. Sorry. They are on Jared's side. He said they would know of me and would be friendly to us. I thought you should know."

"Thank you." She runs her hand over his brow and then over Jared's, soothing them both like children. "You can rest now, Jensen."

Jared's heartbeat is regular, if slow, and the rise and fall of his chest beneath Jensen's head is as soothing as a lullaby. Despite the daylight still peeking under the edge of the tent, Jensen falls asleep almost instantly.

He doesn't dream. He sleeps fitfully, waking up every time Kirsten comes to check on Jared, every time Jared shifts beneath him. Each time, he holds his breath, but Jared doesn't wake. He's still cold, even after Evan returns with more blankets to tuck around them both, and Jensen rests one hand along Jared's face to warm his icy cheek. He falls asleep again like that, sweating with the weight of the blankets over them but feeling Jared's chilled skin against his.

When Jensen awakens in the morning, his stomach gives a loud rumble. He can't remember when the last time was he had food, and a sharp pang in his middle serves as a reminder that it has been at least a full day and a half. 

Lifting his head, he sees his mother sleeping on a second pallet next to theirs, Evan watching over her. He gives Jensen a tired smile, putting a finger to his lips. Jensen nods and sets his head back on Jared's chest, enjoying the warmth of the bare skin beneath his cheek.

The warmth.

Jensen abruptly sits up, the blankets falling away. "Jared?" he asks quietly.

Jared is still quiet, eyes closed, but his breath sounds more regular, his pulse stronger under Jensen's fingers. He's warm, too, and when Jensen takes Jared's hand in his, he's thrilled to see the regular pink color of the skin beneath his nails, no longer tinged with blue. "He's all right," Jensen throws over his shoulder. "I think the fever broke."

"Hush," Evan says, nodding at Jensen's sleeping mother. "She felt that in the night. It's the only reason she would sleep."

"Oh." Jensen spreads a hand over Jared's chest, feeling the beat of his heart. he probably doesn't need to be cuddled up with Jared under all of these blankets, not with his _parents_ right here and Jared not wearing any clothes.

"She said if you woke, that it would do you both good to stay there," Evan goes on softly. "Might make it easier for Jared to hear you." He taps the side of his head. 

"Oh," Jensen says again. He looks at Jared's face, takes in the movement of his eyes behind the lids and the way the breath rises and falls from between his pink lips. _Jared?_ he tries.

There's no response, but Jensen isn't too worried. If the fever has broken, the rest will come in time. He yawns and settles back down. Maybe if he rests a moment more, Jared will wake up.

It's midday by the time Jensen wakes again. This time, when he lifts his head, he comes to a dead stop. Jared's blue-green eyes are open, not much more than slits, but they're fixed on Jensen.

"Jared!" he exclaims, sitting up.

Jared winces at the movement, catching his breath. "Careful," he whispers.

"Oh, Gods, I'm sorry." Jensen cautiously draws back. "Are you all right?"

"Will be." Jared gives him a faint smile. "You saved me."

"You saved _me_." Jensen runs a finger down his cheek. "All of us, really. You were incredible, Jared."

"So were you." Jared's hand moves across his body, and Jensen grasps it in his own. "The spear. If you hadn't..." Jared trails off and starts coughing.

"Whoa, here." Jensen helps him to sit up, rubbing at his back. There's a water skin nearby, and he helps Jared to drink. "We should tell my mother you're awake," he says, looking around to see that they're alone in the tent. "She'll want to know."

"She already knows." Jared takes another sip, his voice sounding less raspy as he goes on, "You slept for a long time, Jensen. Another day has come and gone."

Jensen blinks at him. "What? How can that be?"

"You tried too hard." Jared tilts his head forward so that his forehead is resting against Jensen's temple. "You were so determined to be strong for me that you used up your own strength. You've been asleep for almost two days."

"I—I had no idea it worked like that." Jensen put a hand to his stomach. "Gods, I was hungry the first time I woke up, I can only imagine now."

He hears Jared give a soft laugh in his ear. "The important thing is that you're all right. We were starting to worry about you."

"Indeed, we were." It's Kirsten's voice, and Jensen tries to turn toward here without disturbing Jared, nestled up against his side. "Jared told us what he thought was happening, and I agreed to wait. For a while," she said more sternly.

"I'm sorry," Jensen says. "I had no idea that could happen."

"It doesn't always happen," Jared replies. "I think we have many things to learn about each other and about how we're connected." He looks at Jensen with a small frown. "Like what you felt during the battle."

"Will we always know if the other is hurt?" Jensen asks.

Jared gives a small shrug. "We can ask my uncle and the others when they arrive."

"They have already arrived," Kirsten said. "They have been welcomed in the town but agreed to wait until you were well enough to meet with them."

Jared nods. "I can manage now, I think," he says as he takes hold of the blankets to throw them back.

"Wait!" Jensen clutches at the blankets. "Unless you managed to clothe yourself with me lying on top of you, you will need something before you can get up."

Jared opens his mouth as if to say something, then looks at Kirsten and goes quiet.

She snorts. "We brought some of Evan's old clothes for you, Jared. They'll likely be too small, but better than nothing." She points at the pallet where she'd been sleeping, where a neat pile is sitting of a folded shirt and pants much like Jensen's own.

"I appreciate it," Jared says. "And everything you've done for me, Healer."

"Make no mention of it," Kirsten replies. "It is only a fraction of what we owe to you for vanquishing the other dragon."

Jared's features tighten, but he gives a short nod. "Thank you for the clothing," he says. "I shall meet you outside."

After Kirsten goes, Jensen starts to extract himself from under the blankets. "I should wait outside as well," he says.

Jared stays him with a grip of his wrist. "I might need help in my weakened condition," he says with raised eyebrows. 

"Jared," Jensen replies warningly.

"It is mostly true," Jared replies. "And anyway, you needn't be so shy, my heart. We will be seeing everything of each other soon enough as it is."

Jensen draws in a deep breath and lets it out. "I suppose if my mother has no concerns, I shouldn't either."

"I think you are more concerned with propriety than the rest of your village is, and I have no idea why." Jared squeezes his wrist and then lets go. "Whatever the reason, you needn't worry about it now." With that, he throws back the blankets and reaches across for the clothing on the other pallet.

Jensen's been trying not to look at Jared's bared torso throughout their conversation, but now there's the long line of his hip as well, the curve of his ass as he leans farther to the side, and the trail of dark hair that leads—

He's distracted by a thick, raised line on Jared's side, and he reaches out to touch the old scar. "Ouch. That must have hurt."

Jared raises his eyebrows. "So much that you felt it, I believe."

Jensen blinks at him. "That's impossible. It only happened a day ago."

"Two days ago, but yes, it would be impossible for you. We heal faster than you do, Jensen. Do you think a human would be able to be up and around after breaking his arm and being scored in a dozen different places like I was?"

Jensen pauses. "I knew you were badly injured, but I thought perhaps it had not been as bad as I thought."

Jared's face softens, and he cups Jensen's cheek with one large hand. "It _was_ bad, Jensen. If your mother had not been so quick, and if you had not supplied the strength to me that you did, we might not be having this conversation."

There's a sudden lump in Jensen's throat, and he throws his arms around Jared, face pressed into the curve between his neck and shoulder. "Do not say such things," he whispers fiercely.

"It is the truth," Jared says in a low tone, embracing him in response. "And I will always tell you the truth."

"Then tell me this." Jensen draws back. "Why did you transform after the battle, when you said earlier that it would take too much of your strength to do so? If you had that little strength left...?"

Jared's cheeks flush, and he looks down. "There were two reasons," he says, taking Jensen's hands in his. "The first was a risk I calculated, that if even if it made me weaker, it would be much easier for a human healer to treat me. The wounds would be smaller, the healer would be working with a familiar form, and their remedies would be more likely to be successful." He pauses and gives Jensen a small smile. "It is good that your mother recognized that my fevers are not like yours, though."

"She is good at what she does," Jensen replies. "What was the other reason?"

Jared heaves in a breath and holds Jensen's hands more tightly. "I thought that if the risk was too great, if you were not able to save me, then at least I could die with you holding me."

This time, the lump in Jensen's throat nearly chokes him, and tears spring to his eyes. "Jared," he murmurs brokenly, and then he's holding Jared tightly enough that if he had not already healed, he would probably be in a great deal of pain. "Jared, my heart."

"I'm sorry." Jared's hands are stroking his hair and his back, strong and calming. "I am sorry to put that burden on you."

Jensen sniffs, and his throat is clogged when he speaks. "No, you thought wisely. I would do that for you if it was all I could do." He pulls back and puts his hand to Jared's face. "But let that _never_ be all that I can do for you again."

"Never," Jared swears, and then he's kissing Jensen, his lips warm and soft, his kiss tender and sure and a promise even if he isn't speaking it aloud.

Jensen finally breaks it off with a hitch of his breath. "We should get you dressed," he says, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Your people are probably waiting for you."

"They can wait." Jared brushes a thumb under Jensen's eyes, catching the bit of moisture that Jensen missed. "They will want to meet you as well, you know."

Just then, Jensen's stomach gives a loud, long rumble, and he looks up at Jared in dismay. "Perhaps not right this minute," Jensen says hesitantly.

Jared grins and brushes his nose against Jensen's. "If you would prefer to eat first, we could dine together and then meet with my people. But they will find you as enchanting as I do, Jensen, no matter if you are hungry or tired or in need of a shave." He ducks his head and brushes their cheeks together, stubble catching on stubble in a way that sends a thrill down Jensen's spine.

"Still, I would prefer to be in somewhat better condition when I meet my future husband's family," Jensen replies. As he'd hoped, Jared's eyes light up when the word "husband" comes from Jensen's mouth, and Jensen gives him a kiss for being predictable.


	4. Chapter 4

It takes several weeks, but life eventually returns to normal in the valley. The three dragons who have flown in—Jared's uncle and two of his village's Elders, one male and one female—are gracious and kind and, overall, just like Jared himself. They answer any and all questions that the villagers have for them, from Elder Harold's cautious requests as to how different they were from Hezron, to Tomas's little brother's request to see them breathe fire. The adults are horrified, but Jared's uncle gladly goes outside and breathes a small fireball into the air, to the child's delight.

To Jensen's delight, they are also nothing but kind and approving of him. He is almost as nervous upon meeting the three of them for the first time as when he'd ridden off towards Jared's battle, despite Jared's reassurances that they will love him. They are astonished to hear of how he'd thrown the spear at Hezron and assure him that when the tale is told of how the dragon had fallen, Jensen will play a role in it as well.

They give their blessing to the marriage, and Jensen hesitantly suggests that the wedding take place while they are visiting, so that Jared will have some family in attendance. His mother and father are surprised, and say that it would be very difficult to arrange everything on such short notice. Jared suggests a compromise based on one of the customs of his people, and so it is that on the last day the three dragons were planning to be in the valley, there is a short ceremony in the chapel celebrating Jared and Jensen's engagement.

Jared says before the ceremony that he has no gift to offer Jensen, since the things he had brought back with him had gone tumbling to the ground below when he had to catch Jensen in midair. "I had something special for you," he says sadly. "My mother had a guitar that she liked to play, and I was bringing it for you, since I know you like to sing. I am certain that it was smashed on the ground when my pack fell off my back."

"It's no matter," Jensen soothes him. "Your gift is the valley, and the village, safe from harm. And all of the knowledge about dragonkind that we've already been able to receive, and the things we'll get to learn from having you here among us. That is more than enough of a gift for me, Jared."

"Your people are lucky to have you," Jared says with a smile. "And I am lucky to have you. You will be one of the elders one day with that wisdom and generous spirit you possess, Jensen. I have no doubt of it."

The ceremony is short and only mildly embarrassing, given that the entire village knows that Jensen turned down one of their own only a short while before. There are few looks of confusion at the two men standing up before the crowd and promising their futures to each other, but the joy and approval on Evan and Kirsten's faces is all that Jensen needs.

That, and the love in Jared's eyes. 

When the dragons leave, they take the body of the fallen dragon with them. One of them empties a vial of something bright green into the stream to purify it in case the dragon's blood has entered the waters. "It isn't quite right to say that the blood is poisonous," Jared's uncle says. "But it can cause problems to the creatures who drink from the stream, humans included, and so it is best if we take care of it now."

"Thank you for everything," Jensen says. "We have learned so much, and we are so grateful to be included in your kingdom."

"It is not a kingdom, Jensen," Jared says with an nudge to his ribs. "We are all under the same king, remember. It is a an arrangement between dragons and humans, and your valley is part of that arrangement now. You will have someone watching over you—me—and the dragon high council will keep watch as well to ensure that I am not simply using you for my own purposes."

Jensen narrows his eyes playfully. "I must admit, I am worried about that latter point." 

Jared sticks out his tongue, and Jensen throws his head back with a peal of laughter. 

Jared's uncle is laughing as well, and he tousles Jared's hair as he says, "Your parents would be proud, my boy. You've done well here," he says with a nod towards Jensen.

Instantly, Jensen's face falls, but Jared is smiling, if a bit sadly. "Thank you," he says with a quick hug of his uncle. "That means a lot to me."

They back up, and the three dragons transform with a gust of wind that nearly bends the pine trees in half. Jensen watches in awe as the three of them take to the skies, circling once over the valley with a farewell call that he can hear both in his head and out loud, before soaring over the mountain peaks and out of sight.

He sighs, and Jared takes his hand. "What should we do now?" Jared asks. 

Jensen shakes his head. "There's so much to do. The sheep we mostly recovered, but the fence will have to be rebuilt. We have to plan a wedding, at least enough to satisfy my mother and little sister. Then we have to decide where it is that we're going to live, and if it's your cave, we might need to make some modifications. Or if it's a house in town, we need to _build_ it, and—mpmpgh!"

Jared had taken the very effective step of making Jensen quiet by stopping up his mouth with his own. At first, Jensen starts to protest, but then he feels Jared's arms around him, and the sensation of his lips moving against Jensen's registers, and yes, that is much better than talking about all of the things they have to do. He closes his eyes and relaxes into the kiss, sliding his arms around Jared's neck and just letting himself be for a while.

Finally, Jared pulls back and says, "That is not at all what I meant. What I meant was, our guests have left, your family is back in the town, and we are newly engaged." One of his hands is on Jensen's lower back, and his fingers slip beneath Jensen's shirt, stealing Jensen's breath away as they slide over his skin. "So what should we do now?" Jared asks again, his gaze darker than before.

Jensen draws a shaky breath. "Where should we go?"

"You are right that my cave needs some improvements," Jared replies. His fingers move against Jensen's skin, pushing his shirt higher, and Jensen shivers. "For example, I would much prefer to have a bed with cushions and soft bedding to do all of the things that I want to do to you there."

"Gods, Jared," Jensen whispers, briefly closing his eyes. "You are almost too much."

Instantly, Jared removes his hand, leaving Jensen's back feeling cold. "I apologize," he says. "I did not mean to—"

"I said almost." Jensen lays a finger over Jared's lips, the same way he did what seems like ages ago after they first met. This time, however, Jared's lips purse in a kiss. Jensen runs the pad of his finger over Jared's lips, enjoying how soft they feel and how Jared's eyes are turning ever darker. He draws in a careful breath, pleased at how steady it sounds. "If not your cave, then where can we go? Because I have not had more than a moment alone with you since the battle, and there are things I would like to do to you as well."

"In that case." Jared gives him a wicked grin. "There is a place I have found that I was hoping we might visit. May I take you there?"

Jensen squeezes his hand, feeling excitement welling up inside of both of them. "Lead the way."

Jared's grin falters. "It is not close at hand. It is on the other side of the mountain, in the next valley. I would have to fly you there."

Jensen hesitates for only a moment. "Then we shall do that."

"Jensen, are you certain? The last time you were carried by a dragon—"

"You caught me and carried me to safety." He presses a kiss to Jared's mouth. "And I did feel safe. I know you won't let me come to any harm, Jared. And I would like to see you again in your other form."

"If you are sure." Jared is biting his lip, his brow furrowed, and Jensen loves him even more for the care and concern that he's showing.

"I am." He squeezes Jared's hand and steps back. "Go ahead."

"All right." Jared gives a short nod and then starts to remove his clothing.

Jensen raises his eyebrows as he realizes that if Jared wants to have clothing on the other side, he needs to remove it and carry it with him. Even though they're heading off to do things that hopefully won't require clothing, Jensen turns his back, feeling his cheeks heat at the thought of what's behind him. Jared gives a low chuckle, but he only says, "Stand back."

There's a rush of wind that Jensen has to brace himself against, and then he hears, _All right._

He turns around and looks up. Jared is crouched down on all fours, snout to the ground, wings folded into his back, big eyes blinking as they fix on Jensen.

Jensen snorts. "You don't need to look small for me, Jared. I know your size."

Jared hesitates for a moment, but then he stands up, wings unfolding to their full length, tail lashing the air behind him. _I thought it best to go slowly_ , he says.

"I thought I was the one who preferred to do that," Jensen replies, and he's rewarded with a snort of laughter that brings puffs of smoke from Jared's nostrils. "Come on," Jensen says, holding up his arms.

Jared reaches out slowly, laying the back of his clawed hand on the earth, flattening his palm and spreading his claws. Jensen clambers up onto his palm and reaches up to pat a claw. "All is well," he assures Jared. 

_Very well_. Carefully, Jared closes his claws around Jensen, and Jensen nestles against the wrinkled skin of his palm. He can see slivers of sky between Jared's fingers, but then Jared brings up his other hand to cup the first one, and Jensen is plunged into darkness. _Are you ready?_ Jared asks.

"I'd like to be able to see," Jensen says, pushing at the sides of Jared's two fingers to make a space for himself.

 _Are you certain?_ Jared sounds alarmed.

"I already know you can catch me," Jensen replies.

 _Do not joke that way_ , Jared says sharply.

"Sorry." Jensen pictures himself giving Jared a quick hug. "It is so dark in here, that is all."

 _Let me see._ Jared loosens his grip somewhat, and a beam of light breaks in between two claws. _Is this better?_

"Yes," Jensen assures him. "It is not so great a gap that I can fall out."

 _Good_. Jared draws a deep breath. _Let us go_.

The first jolt upwards is shocking, and Jensen catches his breath at the dizzying sensation of rising from the earth. But then he feels the strength of Jared's wings pulling them upward, the power that his dragon body contains, almost as if it were his own. For a moment, he sits and lets himself get accustomed to the feeling of moving through the air, feeling the rush of it through the narrow window Jared has provided him.

Then, gathering his courage, he leans to the side, sprawled out on Jared's palm, and looks below them.

Instantly, he gasps again, but this time in amazement. _Jared, it's so beautiful!_ The valley is green and gold spread out beneath him, the meadow flowers turning into a butter-yellow haze over the rich, green grass, the darker pine trees and curves of the river cutting into the meadow. Craning his neck, he can see the houses of the village, looking tiny already and receding with every beat of Jared's wings.

 _Do you like it?_ Jared asks.

 _It is amazing,_ Jensen replies. _I am surprised you would be a human at all when you could see the world like this._

 _Some things are better experienced in human size_ , Jared replies, and an instant later, Jensen can see in his mind's eye the two of them kissing passionately, hands slipping under shirts and caressing each other's skin.

He shudders and lays his palm flat on the skin of the hand holding him. Closing his eyes, he imagines putting his hand on Jared's human torso that way, feeling the beat of his heart, maybe trailing both hands down his sides until they reach—

Jensen yelps as the ground shifts beneath him. _Careful!_ he calls when he realized why there was a sudden lurch.

 _Apologies. I was distracted._ Jared's terse words are a bit snappish, and Jensen decides not to tease him further. Instead, he pats Jared's hand in apology and continues to watch the landscape unfold below him.

They soar over the high end of Jensen's valley, past peaks dotted with snow even in the summertime, and come down the other side on a gentle glide. 

Jensen barely even feels their descent, but he sees the mountainside get closer and closer, and soon they're coming to land with a gentle thump beside a small lake. 

Jared carefully sets him down on a grassy meadow next to the lake and backs away. Jensen turns his back, bracing himself for the familiar gust of wind, taking in the beauty of the jewel-like lake nestled in the bowl of the mountains, surrounded by tall pines that are whispering in the wind.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jared asks as he comes up behind him, tunic and leggings back in place.

"It's gorgeous." Jensen turns and embraces him, and they hold each other for a moment, looking out over the water.

"Are you cold?" Jared finally asks.

"No," Jensen replies, even as he presses more closely to Jared's warmth.

Jared laughs softly in his ear. "There's something I want to show you," he says, letting go of Jensen to take his hand.

They walk along the shore of the lake for a few paces, and then step across a small, rocky stream. "This way," Jared says, tugging on Jensen's hand and turning to walk alongside the stream.

They pass through a few stands of forest, the brook babbling merrily at their feet. "How did you find this place?" Jensen asks. "It seems rather isolated."

"It is," Jared replies. "The lake empties out over a waterfall into the valley opposite yours. The only way to get here is through the air, unless you climb over the mountains, and I doubt that is possible."

Jensen looks up at the jagged, snow-capped peaks looming over them. "So no one else can find us here?"

Jared slips his arm around him and pulls him close. "That was my aim, yes."

"I like it," Jensen replies, wrapping his arm around Jared's waist.

They move on across the soft, spongy ground covered in pine needles until they reach another pool. This one is smaller than the lake, maybe the size of Jensen's bedroom. The water is dark, and there is steam rising from it. Above the water, the mountainside rises steeply, rocks half-covered in snow and ice. The pool is ringed in bright green moss is speckled with small yellow flowers, looking almost like the meadow did from above.

Jensen tells this to Jared, and Jared smiles at him. "It reminded me of your eyes, when I first saw it," Jared admits. "I found it when I was exploring, looking for a place that we could be alone."

"It's very nice," Jensen says.

Jared's eyes are twinkling. "You don't know the best part," he says. "Come." He crouches down next to the water and sticks his hand in.

Warily, Jensen follows suit, expecting to feel the chill of water newly melted from the snows above the pool. Instead, the water is as warm as a bath, and he gives a start in surprise.

Jared grins. "There is a hot spring that feeds the pool," he says. "There are a number of them in these mountains, but I have never seen one quite this perfect before."

"Amazing," Jensen breathes out. He leans further into the water, sticking both hands in and enjoying the warmth on his chilly arms.

"Careful," Jared says, catching Jensen around the waist before he can come close to falling in.

Jensen looks back over his shoulder, grinning at Jared. "Perhaps it would safer if we simply climbed in."

Jared raises his eyebrows. "And get our clothing wet?"

Jensen makes a face at him. "I know that some dragon customs are different, but surely that is not how you bathe?"

Jared is looking at him dubiously. "You have always been uncomfortable when I am not fully clothed."

Sighing, Jensen sits back on his heels, his fingers dripping. "I thought about what you said as we flew up here. About how I seem to be the only one worried about propriety. I think...I think it is more a matter of privacy. That if someone wants to show their body to someone else who wants to see it, that is their choice. But if there is a possibility that someone else might see, or someone might be there who someone doesn't want to be seen by, that is a different matter."

Jared's brows are scrunched up. "I think I understand," he says slowly. "You were unsure that we would not be interrupted."

"That, too." Jensen shrugs. "And perhaps, after having abandoned Sabine the way I did, I was concerned that the same thing might happen to me."

"Jensen, I would never—"

"I know that." Jensen places a finger over Jared's lips. "I have known that for a while." He draws a deep breath and stands up, feeling the chilly mountain air on his wet hands and forearms. "It would be warmer in the water, yes?"

Still crouching by the side of the pool, Jared looks up at him and nods.

Before he can change his mind, Jensen reaches for the hem of his shirt and pulls it over his head. Dropping the shirt on the pine-needled ground, he kicks off his shoes before pushing down his trousers and stepping out of them. He hears a sharp intake of breath from Jared, but he turns and steps into the water, sighing in relief as he's bathed in its warmth.

The pool is quite deep for being so small: Jensen can stand in the center and be covered to the middle of his ribs. He ducks down slightly so that he's covered to his shoulders, loving the warmth of the water. Jared is still looking at him, wide-eyed, and so Jensen crooks a finger at him and steps farther back into the pool.

A moment later, Jared is wildly pulling his rough tunic over his head and shoving his pants down his long, long legs. Jensen would be laughing at the sight except that there's a rush of excitement sweeping through him, a nervous anticipation at what he's going to see when Jared stands up—and what he's going to _feel_ when Jared joins him in the pool. He's hardening already, the warm water feeling just as good on his cock as it does on the rest of him.

What he does see, once Jared stands up to his full height, naked as the first time Jensen saw him, is a set of broad shoulders, the well-muscled chest that he's been enjoying while they work on the fences, and a waist that seems like Jensen could span it with his two hands. The cut of Jared's hipbones makes Jensen want to run his fingers along them, and then his gaze drops even lower, and he absently licks his lips at what he sees.

_Gods, Jensen._

He looks up, startled. Jared's stepping into the pool, coming ever closer to Jensen, and before Jensen can decide where he wants to put his hands or his mouth first, Jared is standing right up against him, and the shock of so much warm skin against his has him clutching at Jared's shoulders and shivering, despite the warm water.

Jared cups his face with one hand, shuffling even closer so their thighs are touching, chests brushing, and the hard line Jensen can feel against his hip is a match for his own cock. "You're so beautiful," Jared whispers, and then his mouth descends on Jensen's. 

As good as kissing Jared has always felt, it's nothing compared to the rush of sensations Jensen feels now. It's almost overwhelming, the press of their skin and the way Jared's body feels under his fingers as he moves them over Jared's shoulders and arms and chest. Jared's hands smooth down his back and then over his ass, pulling him closer, and Jensen gives an involuntary thrust against that long, sharp line of Jared's hipbone. His own hands creep down to Jared's hips, feeling the flatness of his stomach and the round curve of his rear even as their mouths continue to press and suck and nip at each other. 

"Let me try something," Jared murmurs.

Jensen nods breathlessly, certain that anything Jared asks of him right now, he'd be willing to do.

 _Good_ , he hears in his head. As Jared starts to kiss him again, he feels something opening in his mind, like a door widening that he hadn't even known was there. And then he feels an echo of the kiss against his lips, feels his hands running over a round ass beneath the water when his own fingers are busy exploring the dry firmness of Jared's chest. 

Shocked, he pulls back, hearing Jared's amusement in his mind. _I can feel what you are feeling?_ he asks silently.

 _I thought it would be useful_ , Jared replies. _Not that I need anything more than to touch you right now._

Tentatively, Jensen slides the back of his hand down Jared's abdomen, into the water until his fingertips brush over the head of Jared's cock. Jared jolts in response, eyes widening, but it's Jensen who gives a thrust of his hips at the sensation. _Gods_ , he breathes out, eyes locked on where his hand is teasing at Jared's loose foreskin, even while his own cock tingles with a phantom sensation.

"Let me try something else," Jared says, ducking down until he has Jensen in his sight, gently taking his hand and removing it from Jared's cock.

"I have no objections so far," Jensen replies with a teasing grin, putting his hands on Jared's waist.

"Good." Jared kisses him for a moment, hard and sweet. When he finishes, he brings up one hand to cup Jensen's cheek, thumb stroking back and forth. "I do not know what your customs are here, Jensen, if betrothal is enough or if you would prefer to wait until we are wed. For me, it is knowing that you are the one I want to court, but your ways might be different."

"Jared, what are you talking about?" Jensen asks.

For answer, Jared closes his hand around Jensen's cock, and Jensen makes a strangled yelp, fingers digging into Jared's sides as his knees threaten to give out on him. He's been aroused since stepping into the water, and as magnificent as it felt to thrust up against Jared's skin, feeling those long, clever fingers stroking him feels better than he could have possibly imagined.

But it's nothing compared to the desire that sweeps over him when Jared murmurs in his ear, "I want to feel you inside of me."

Jensen slams his eyes shut and tries to think about something, anything that will keep him from coming right then and there. His thumb brushes the fading scar on Jared's side, and that does the trick, the memory of the pain and fear in the middle of the dragons' battle jerking him back out of his haze. Still, he takes a breath to steady himself before leaning up and saying against Jared's lips, "Yes."

The surge of want and joy that sweeps over him is all the response Jared needs to give, and they spent a few long moments kissing and touching, arms wrapped around each other. Jensen's still as turned on as he's ever been in his life, but it's a slow simmer, under the surface, and he hopes he can keep it there until Jared gets what he wants.

Jared finally leans back, hands still in constant motion along Jensen's sides and back. "I need to get ready," he says. "Do you want to help?"

"Just show me what to do."

Jared smiles and bumps his hip up against Jensen's cock, hard and curving up near his abdomen. "That is a good start."

Jensen sticks out his tongue, and Jared laughs. "Come here."

He follows Jared across the pool to an alcove of rocks, piled up above their heads. Jared reaches up onto a kind of shelf formed by the rocks and brings down a small jar. With a shy smile, he says, "I left this here earlier in the hopes that I would get to use it." 

Curious, Jensen takes the tiny jar and lifts the lid. Inside is a sweet-smelling salve, something like what his mother would use for her healing. "What is it?"

"To ease the way," Jared replies. He takes Jensen's hand in his and dips their fingers together the jar, coating two of them. Then he reaches behind his back, still holding Jensen's hand. "Follow me," he says with a playful smirk.

Then he arches his back, hand reaching a little farther, and his eyelids flutter as his finger disappears inside himself.

Jensen watches, breath catching, as Jared fucks himself on his finger, expressions flitting across his face too fast for Jensen to name. Finally, his eyes open and lock onto Jensen. "Now you," he says softly.

Jensen steps closer, standing at Jared's side, bracing his other hand on Jared's hip. Slowly, he presses his finger alongside Jared's, frowning at what seems like too small of space for him to go. Before he can say anything, Jared is pushing down against him, and then both of their fingers are inside the heat of Jared's body, and Jensen shivers at the intimacy of it.

"Like this," Jared breathes, moving his finger back and forth, side to side. Jensen imitates him, and they work together to prepare Jared, moving in unison. Jared asks for another of Jensen's fingers, and it's also a tight fit at first, but soon they're moving easily. Jensen can't stop thinking about what they're preparing Jared _for_ , and he has to stop himself from thrusting up against Jared's hip.

"All right," Jared finally says. "I'm ready."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes," Jared says. He brushes a kiss against Jensen's lips and eases forward until their fingers pop free. "Here," he says, turning around and propping his elbows along the moss-covered rock shelf along the edge of the pool. The shelf is lower than his waist, and even with his long legs spread, the swell of his ass is just visible above the waterline. 

Jensen thinks his mouth might actually be watering. "I have to admit that I like this view very much," he says with a light caress of Jared's rear. "But I would prefer to see you." 

_Doesn't matter,_ Jared silently replies as he cranes his head to look over his shoulder. _You'll see everything anyway._

He's not sure what Jared means, but he trusts him, and so he takes hold of Jared's hip with one hand and himself with the other, and carefully lining up, begins to push inside of Jared.

As much as he thought they had stretched Jared's body, it's still a tight fit, but it feels so perfect that Jensen's mouth falls open in a loud groan. He instinctively wants to thrust all the way in, but he knows it has to be hard on Jared, so he makes himself go slowly, watching in awe as he slowly presses farther and farther inside. 

Jared's panting shallowly, ass working in small circles as he adjusts to Jensen's cock. "Good," he breathes out. "So good, Jensen." He arches his back, forcing himself further down, and Jensen loses control and slams forward, burying himself to the hilt.

The tiny gasp Jared gives in response almost makes Jensen pull out again, but Jared's hand clamps onto his hip, holding him in place. "Wait," he says. "Give me a moment."

"Anything," Jensen replies, hands roaming over Jared's flanks and his strong back. His heart is beating rapidly, breathing coming fast as he tries to control himself until Jared is ready. Jared is so warm and tight around him, almost like he was made for Jensen, and Jensen has the feeling this first time won't last for very long at all.

 _All right_ , he hears in his head. Then he feels something more mischievous in Jared's tone as he goes on, _Are you ready?_

Jensen takes hold of Jared's hips, ready to finally give into his body's demands. Before he can move, though, he feels something open in his mind, that same door as before, and he gasps out loud. In addition to the glove-like fit around his cock, Jared's body pulling him in, he can also feel what Jared's feeling: the completely-full sensation of Jensen's cock inside of him. 

He drops his forehead against Jared's back. "Are you trying to kill me?" he growls.

 _There are places where an orgasm is described as a "little death,"_ Jared replies. _That is the only kind I wish for you._

"I do not think it will take long," Jensen replies, and then, _finally_ , he's driving forward, hips splashing in the water as he drives into Jared's body.

Jared gives a shout and says something silently that sounds like, _yes, there_ , and so Jensen pulls back and tries to repeat his thrust. He can feel the tingling sensation inside of him, can see bright sparks behind his eyes, and he braces his legs and goes for it again.

His fingers are digging into Jared's hips, and it's only when Jared moves one arm from supporting his weight to reaching between his legs that Jensen slides one arm around Jared and reaches for his cock. He's closer to Jared now, with less room to move, but he can still rock back and forth and thrust into Jared even as his hand closes over Jared's length. It's like a hand touching his own cock, even when he's already buried deep inside of Jared. Their thoughts become as entangled as their bodies as they rock together, until Jensen can no longer tell which sensations are his and which ones are Jared's. 

And so he has no idea which one of them comes first, or if either of them comes first, only that he's exploding into a burst of pleasure, Jared in front of him and inside of him and all around him, the two of them spiraling together higher than the mountains as they shout their pleasure into the silent beauty around them.

Jensen comes back to himself draped over Jared's back, the sweat on his back chilly in the mountain air. "Are you good?" he asks, pressing a kiss between Jared's shoulder blades.

 _I thought you could tell_ , comes Jared's amused response.

"More than good, then." Jensen wriggles so that he's moving inside of Jared, and he smiles at the small gasp he gets in response.

Then Jared clenches around him, and sensitive as he is, it makes him give a start. Jared laughs softly, and Jensen carefully pulls out and tugs Jared around until they're standing face-to-face. "Hi," he says quietly before pulling Jared down into a kiss.

"Mmmm," Jared says against his lips. "Definitely worth the wait."

"I hope so," Jensen replies. "I hope—I mean, I had never done that before. Anything like it, really. I hope I did everything right."

"If not, we'll have to try again." Jared nudges his chin to get him to look up. "I had never done that before, either."

Jensen blinks. "You hadn't?"

Jared shakes his head. "I told you, it is our custom to wait until we find the one we wish to court. And I am younger than you, Jensen, in our years."

"I suppose I thought that since you have traveled and seen so much of the world, that you had also seen, well, done those sorts of things." He frowns at Jared. "I hope I do not insult you by saying so."

"Not at all." Jared is smiling fondly at him. "Actually, I do not think there is anything you could say right now that would make me feel anything less than amazing."

Jensen chuckles and pulls Jared into an embrace, enjoying the feel of their bodies against each other. "I feel the same."

"I'm glad you like this place," Jared murmurs into his ear.

"Mm-hmm," Jensen agrees. He's sleepy from the warm water and the intense orgasm, and he wishes it was possible to sleep standing up, leaning against Jared, just like this.

"I wish we could sleep here," Jared says. "Perhaps we should build a second home up here besides the one in the village."

"Third home," Jensen mutters. "Besides the cave."

Jared laughs softly. "As many homes as you want, my heart. As long as you're in them with me."

"Always," Jensen replies, and he lifts his head to kiss Jared, long and deep and slow, sealing their future together.


End file.
